BINTULU: Tatau police chief DSP Zaizodin Jaafar has rubbished claims that a man fell of his boat and drowned while taking part in the Ulu Kakus express boat accident search and rescue operation yesterday.
FOUND: One of the bodies found in the morning.
“It is just a rumour. Otherwise we would have known about it. Besides, why would the police hide such a report if it was true? As a matter of fact, how can we even hide such an incident if it did happen?” he said to reporters at the search and rescue site yesterday.
Zaizodin, who headed the rescue operation, said however that a man was tangled up in the muddy river bank and immediately pulled to safety by rescue personnel.
“He was not in any danger whatsoever. He was not even hurt or injured in the incident,” he continued, adding there were no other untoward incidents during the entire rescue operation which was deemed a success.
He advised the public not to spread wild rumours and to get their facts right as such incidents were no laughing matter.
Zaizodin stated that all the family members of the express boat passengers, the public and workers at the nearby Kelebu timber camp had given full co-operation to the authority and he was glad all the persons reported missing had been found.
He was quick to remind the public to report to the police if any family members were suspected to have boarded the ill fated express boat and were missing.
The final count of those who survived the tragedy on Monday afternoon stood at 17 while 13 died.
The boat was negotiating a bend near Kelebu timber camp about 50km from Bintulu when it was said to have rammed into a steel cable strung between a tugboat and a barge.