KUCHING: Nine people, including several children, are believed to have drowned in the Batang Lupar River after the four-wheel drive vehicle they were travelling in fell off a ferry at Triso Jetty.
The Fire and Rescue Department, in a statement, said they received an emergency call at 3.14pm and sent two teams from the Simunjan and Saratok stations to the scene.
The scene of the tragedy is 62km from Simunjan and 98km from Saratok.
“The victims, five males and four females, have not been identified yet,” said the department, adding they were waiting for the health authorities to arrive at the scene.
However, according to a video that went viral on social media, villagers and the public had managed to recover the bodies of the victims, including the children.
It is not known if there were any survivors.