SARATOK: Rescue operations in Sungai Krian have concluded after recovery teams located the final three victims of a devastating boat accident that claimed four lives near the Kaba Ferry area.
The tragedy has claimed four construction workers: Malaysian national Mohd Asfar Sulaiman (25) and three Indonesian citizens — Gunawan Pawadi (35), Budianto Yapani (50), and Karyono (41).
The second phase of search efforts proved successful as teams recovered all remaining victims within a 35-minute window this morning. Local villagers made the first discovery at 10.10am, locating the second casualty in the river waters.
Combined rescue teams quickly followed up with a third recovery just five minutes later at 10.15am.
The operation reached its conclusion at 10.45am when emergency responders successfully extracted the fourth and final victim from the waterway.
The first casualty, boat operator Mohd Asfar Sulaiman, had been discovered yesterday at 9.37am under a construction bridge near Kaba Ferry Jetty, approximately 300 feet from the original incident site.
The incident occurred on Friday afternoon around 5.30pm when ten ZCCC Construction (M) Sdn Bhd employees attempted to cross from Sesang Jetty to Pusa Jetty following their work shift. The small transport vessel capsized mid-journey, throwing all passengers into the river.
Six Indonesian workers managed to reach safety by clinging to a nearby barge until another boat rescued them. However, four colleagues became trapped underwater and were reported missing immediately after the accident.
Emergency services received the distress call at 6.13pm, with Saratok police station logging an official report shortly thereafter.
The extensive rescue operation mobilised significant resources across multiple agencies. Seven personnel from Saratok Fire Station led the effort, supported by specialized K9 units from the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department.
Additional support came from eight police officers, six Civil Defence Force (APM) members, and 36 local volunteers who provided nine boats for the search operation. The collaborative effort demonstrated the community’s commitment to bringing closure to the affected families.
Officials declared the operation complete at 11.10am after confirming all victims had been accounted for.
All recovered bodies have been transferred to police custody for further investigation and post-mortem procedures.