4 theSun | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28 2009

news without borders

Bridge swayed a lot before

collapsing: Survivor
KAMPAR: Between 30 and 50
pupils were on a newly-built
suspension bridge when it
collapsed on Monday night
into the swift-flowing Kampar
River near Sekolah Kebang-
saan Kuala Dipang, not far
from here, causing one pupil
to drown and two more to go
missing.
A pupil, K. Mathivanan,
12, who held onto a rope and
saved himself, said the bridge
collapsed all of a sudden at
about 10.30pm.
He said there were about
30 to 50 pupils on the bridge
then, some walking to the
school for their dinner and
others returning to the camp-
site on the opposite bank.
He said the bridge swayed
turned to panic as MORE PICS @ dragged away,” he
many of the pupils said.
started screaming Safri, who is from
for help while Sekolah Kebang-
others just cried. saan Seri Tronoh,
He was one said he went into
of the 298 pupils the river again and
from 60 primary schools in pulled out five more pupils.
Kampar, Tronoh and Batu A guard of the school, who
Gajah who were to have identified himself as Idris, said
begun a 1Malaysia Camp co- he pulled out six pupils from
curriculum activity organised the river.
by the Kinta Selatan District Safri said he was sad that
Education Department there. he could not rescue a pupil
The bridge, which is more who had held onto a metal
than 50m long, was built about cable before being dragged
two weeks ago to replace an away by the current.
old one which had collapsed, Twenty-three teachers
said a member of the school’s were involved in the camp, the
parent-teacher association. second to be organised by the
The bridge links the camp- Kinta Selatan district educa-
site to Sekolah Kebangsaan tion department after the first

a lot before it collapsed as
several pupils were jumping
about and playing with one
another.
BERNAMAPIX
Kuala Dipang where dinner one at Sekolah Kebangsaan
was served for the pupils. Pos Raya last week.
A teacher, Mohd Safri Similar camps were to be
Abdul Rafar, said he was not held simultaneously yester- Muhyiddin

Daughter was excited

“All of a sudden, we found far from the bridge when it day in the Larut-Matang and inspects
ourselves thrown into the collapsed and quickly jumped Selama as well as Manjung the spot
river. I managed to hold on to over a fence and dived into the districts, said Safri, adding that where the

to attend camp: Dad

a rope. The current was swift
but I managed to drag myself
out of the water,” he said.
Mathivanan said joy
river to rescue the pupils.
“I managed to pull out and the aim of the camp was
three or four pupils. The cur- to foster unity and interaction
rent was swift and I almost got through group activities.
the pupils were from all races
metal pole
holding the
suspension
bridge
by Charles Ramendran camp, I would not have allowed her
toppled.
newsdesk@thesundaily.com to go. I know this river has strong cur-
rents,” he said.
KAMPAR: A distraught Mageswaran, He said he was disappointed with
47, father of one of the two missing inaccurate reports throughout the
pupils, M. Devadarshini, said his only day which claimed the bodies of his
daughter among five of his children, daughter and the other missing girl,
was very excited to attend the camp. Divyashree Vasudevan, 12, of SJK(T)
He said the Year Five pupil of SRJK Gopeng, had been found, but till 6pm
Mambang Diawan, Gopeng was “dis- the authorities denied this.
turbed” as she had not told her mother “We are running around here and
who was at work that she was going there with such news going around.
for the trip. Why have they not found them yet?”
“I gave her my consent as she was he asked.
so happy about it. My daughter then It was a solemn scene at the school
wrote a note for her mother saying she with about 500 parents, friends and
was sorry for not seeking her permis- sympathisers of all races gathered at
sion but hoped her mother would give its field to wait for news of the missing
her blessings for her to go. girls, who are feared drowned.
“She also said she will be thinking of Kampar police chief and operations
Members her mother throughout the camp. Now, commander Supt Abdul Aziz Salleh said
of the she is gone forever,” said Mageswaran the search for the victims was called
search and who broke down when he was inter- off at 7pm but would resume at 7am
rescue party viewed. today.
comprising He said he was appalled by the He said the search by the fire and
500 school authorities which gave notice at rescue department, navy and Smart
personnel the eleventh hour to the pupils, and his divers and frogmen was between the
from all daughter had initially named another scene of the tragedy at the Kampar
agencies venue for the camp. River and beyond the Tronoh Mines
search for the “Had I known they were coming which is almost 30km in distance.
two girls in to this river bank for this He said there was a
the Kampar BERNAM IX
AP
barrier across the river
River. to trap rubbish near
Tronoh Mines and the
authorities hope the
search for the victims
will end there.
He said more
than 500 personnel
from a dozen agen-
cies are involved in
the operation.
He said the 19
pupils who survived
the tragedy did not
suffer any injury.
The body of the
drowned pupil was
found 2km from
the bridge.
He said the
water could have
been at least 2m
deep and the
currents were
strong at the
time of incident
as it rained
heavily earlier.