Bridge Collapsed, Children Dead, Missing

AFP - 10/27/2009

Malaysian girl dead, two missing after bridge collapse

One child died and two others are missing after a bridge collapsed at a campsite in northern Malaysia, sending a group of students plunging into the river below, police said Tuesday.

Nineteen of the youngsters were rescued from the fast-flowing river after the accident Monday evening in Perak state, where they had been among 298 children on a camping trip.

"From reports from the teachers on the scene we believe that there were 22 children on the bridge when it collapsed," said Kampar police chief Aziz Salleh.

"Nineteen of these students have been rescued," he told AFP. "We have found one Indian girl drowned and another two are still missing, so we are carrying out search and rescue operations to find the two students."

Salleh said that most of the survivors were quickly hauled out of the river by their teachers. Some 300 rescuers were at the scene, scouring the riverbanks for any sign of the missing pair.

The camp was part of the government's "One Malaysia" scheme, aimed at fostering integration among the multicultural nation's ethnic groups, through activities like traditional cooking, cultural education and games.

State television showed dozens of parents at the campsite waiting for news of their children, as investigators examined the supports of the 50 metre walking bridge, which appeared to have been torn out of the ground.

Deputy premier Muhyiddin Yassin visited the site and spoke with distressed parents, promising the government would probe the cause of the collapse of the newly installed bridge.

"What has occurred should not have happened and we want a full investigation into what happened and those responsible to be held accountable," he said.

Witnesses said the children were walking across the narrow bridge to attend a dinner when the accident occurred.

One survivor, 12-year-old K. Mathivanan, said the children were playing and jumping on the bridge before it began swaying, and then suddenly gave way.

"Suddenly we were thrown into the river and I managed to grab a rope hanging off the collapsed bridge. The river currents were very strong but I managed to pull myself to safety," he told state news agency Bernama.

Mohammad Safri Abdul Rafar, a teacher who was nearby, said he was alerted by the screams of students coming from the river.

"I jumped over the fence and dived into the river and managed to rescue three or four students. The current was very strong and I almost drowned and was forced to return to the bank," he told Bernama.