Student drowns after falling from Darul Hana Bridge
KUCHING: The Darul Hana Bridge – the city’s newest landmark – recorded its first fatality yesterday when a 14year- old student plunged into the Sarawak River while apparently taking a selfie.
The incident was witnessed by local shutterbug Rosli Zainal Abidin, who told The Borneo Post that he happened to be on the bridge looking for some candid photo shots.
“As I was crossing the bridge, I spotted two students in their uniform. One of them was sitting on the railing of the bridge taking a selfie.
“About 10 seconds later, I heard a loud splash and a woman who was walking behind me shouted ‘budak jatuh!’ ( boy has fallen).
Rosli said he immediately turned around and realised who the ‘budak’ was when he saw that the student who had been taking the selfie moments earlier was nowhere to be seen, adding he also saw big ripples on the river surface as he peered down.
Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) state assistant operations director Tiong Ling Hii said that the victim’s body was recovered at about 10am.
“The department received a distress call at 8.29am and deployed a team of firefighters from the Padungan fire station to the scene,” he said.
Meanwhile, district police chief ACP Ng Ah Lek said no foul play was involved in the incident.
“The victim fell from the South Viewing Deck of the Darul Hana Bridge. He was found by firefighters about 10 metres from where he fell,” he said, while identifying the deceased as Kieran Bilong Baginda.
He also said the body was brought to the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) for a post-mortem.