Perak fire and rescue department operations division director Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the body of Nor Affendi Yusoff, 35, was found floating by the department’s dive team at 1.33pm, Bernama reported.

“The body was found near the Sultan Abdul Aziz orphanage around a kilometre from our control centre set up for the search and rescue operation.

“The body was handed over to the police for further action,” he said in a statement today.

In another case, a child was found drowned while playing with friends at the Parit 4 irrigation canal in Parit, near Ipoh, yesterday.

Perak Tengah police chief Hafezul Helmi Hamzah said the incident involving the seven-year-old victim was reported by a member of the public at around 5.45pm.

The victim was found about 30m from the canal’s edge and was brought by local residents to the Bota Kiri health clinic in Parit but was confirmed dead.

A post-mortem at the Seri Iskandar Hospital showed cause of death as “pulmonary oedema consistent with drowning”.

Hafezul urged parents to closely monitor their children’s activities and prevent them from swimming in rivers and canals as the currents were particularly strong during the northeast monsoon season, expected to last until the end of March next year.