Body of UniSZA student found in Setiu picnic tragedy
Screenshots from a widely-shared video showing the raging waters where two UniSZA students drowned. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA : A search and rescue team have found the body of a Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) student who was reported missing and feared drowned yesterday.
The body of Abed Mifzal Azman, 22, from Johor, was found at 9.30pm, Berrnama reported.
He was believed to have been swept away by a water surge while bathing with six friends in the Lata Payung Forest Eco Park picnic area in Bandar Permaisuri, Setiu in Terengganu yesterday.
According to Setiu district police chief Zain Deris, the victim was found about 1km from where he was reported missing.
He added that the body had been sent to the Setiu Hospital forensic unit for a post-mortem.
'The victim's six friends managed to escape, but the victim was swept away by the strong current,' he was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Zain advised the public not to do any activities in the river or at recreational forest areas in Setiu for now, due to the uncertain weather conditions and risks of the water surge phenomenon
Last Monday, Wan Ahmad Irfan Wan Abdullah Thani, 24, drowned at Lata Changkah. He and five others were taking a dip in the middle section of the waterfall's cascade when six of them started struggling against the currents.
His body was later found at a depth of 4.5m.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
41 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Driven to distraction: Johor man blames wife for wrong-way stunt on Jalan Skudai
JOHOR BARU, June 9 — A domestic dispute took a sharp turn – literally – after a man drove against traffic on Jalan Skudai here in the early hours of Hari Raya Aidiladha. Johor Baru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said the incident occurred around 1.41am last Saturday, along Jalan Skudai, Pantai Lido. He said local police were alerted to the incident by Bukit Aman after a video of a blue Perodua Aruz driving against traffic was widely circulated on Facebook. 'The vehicle was later traced through its registration number, and the driver was ordered to present himself at the Johor Baru South Traffic Police Station,' Raub said in a statement today. He said the man, a local, turned up at the station at 11.30pm yesterdayt and admitted to driving against traffic after a disagreement with his wife. 'He claimed he lost focus and accidentally entered the wrong lane during the argument,' Raub said. A urine test showed the man was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The case is being investigated under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless and dangerous driving. Raub urged eyewitnesses to contact Traffic Investigating Officer Inspector Mohd Zulpaka Bambo at 014-8861791 or head to the Johor Baru South Traffic Police Station to assist with investigations.
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Gerik crash: UPSI, operator say fatal bus was student-chartered and in good condition
IPOH, June 9 — The bus that crashed along the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding in Gerik this morning, killing 15 people, was privately hired by Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students and not part of any official university programme. UPSI vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Md Amin Md Taff said the students had arranged the bus rental themselves for their return to campus after the Hari Raya Aidiladha holidays. 'Sometimes, university students who come from the same village or nearby areas will rent a bus privately to go home and return to UPSI. 'So the bus they took was not hired by UPSI, but arranged on their own initiative. This has long been a common practice,' he was quoted by Berita Harian as telling reporters at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here this afternoon. The remains of some of the crash victims had been sent to the hospital's forensic department for post-mortem examinations. He said the university is still waiting for confirmation of the identities of the deceased. 'As of now, we have been told that 15 died, but the details of the students who perished are still being verified. 'We cannot reveal anything yet until we receive clearance from the Higher Education Ministry and the authorities,' he was quoted as saying. He added that the university has set up a special operations room to assist families of the victims and is also providing welfare aid, including accommodation and financial support. A collision between the bus and a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle near Tasik Banding in the early hours of this morning resulted in 15 fatalities. The bus operator said the vehicle chartered by the UPSI students for their return to campus after the Aidiladha holiday was in good condition before the journey on June 9, 2025. — Picture via X/Bernama A spokesman for the bus company confirmed the vehicle was one of two chartered by UPSI students to return to their campus in Tanjung Malim, The New Straits Times reported separately. He said both buses were in serviceable condition, had valid travel documents, and were driven by experienced drivers. 'The bus involved in the accident was well maintained and in good condition. 'All four personnel involved – two drivers and two assistants – had valid licences and more than 10 years of experience,' the unnamed bus company representative was quoted as saying. He said the other bus returned to Kelantan this morning. He added that the company will also provide its full cooperation with the authorities in the ongoing investigation.
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Malaysia grieves as UPSI bus crash in Gerik kills 15, echoing deadly FRU accident last month
KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — The nation was shaken once again in the early hours today by a tragic accident that claimed the lives of 15 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). The fatal crash occurred at 1.10 am at KM53 of the East-West Highway (JRTB) near Tasik Banding in Gerik, Perak, involving a chartered bus transporting UPSI students back to their campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, and a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) that was traveling in the same direction, from Jeli, Kelantan to Gerik. This heartbreaking tragedy comes less than a month after a fatal crash on May 13, which claimed the lives of nine members of the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) in Teluk Intan, Perak. According to reports, the crash occurred when the bus rear-ended the Alza, causing the bus to overturn and the MPV to veer into a roadside ditch. A total of 48 victims were accounted for, including 13 who perished at the scene and were taken to Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB) in Ipoh, and two others who succumbed to their injuries at Gerik Hospital. Seven more victims were admitted to the red zone (critical condition), 20 to the yellow zone (semi-critical), and six to the green zone (minor injuries) at Gerik Hospital. At press time, authorities have yet to release an official list of the deceased or injured victims. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, in a Facebook post, announced that UPSI has established an operations room and hotline. Accommodation assistance for the victims' families is also being coordinated with Ungku Omar Polytechnic in Ipoh and the Gerik Community College. UPSI vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Md Amin Md Taff said that the university has assigned one staff member to each affected family to ensure that all next of kin receive appropriate assistance. For the record, fatal bus accidents have plagued Malaysian roads for years. On Dec 24, 2016, a total of 14 people were killed and 16 were injured when an express bus plunged 20 feet into a ravine at KM137 of the North-South Expressway near Kampung Jayo, Muar, Johor. Malaysia's worst recorded bus accident occurred on Aug 21, 2013, when 37 people, including the driver, died and 16 were injured after a bus carrying 52 passengers plunged 60 meters into a ravine at KM3.6 of Jalan Genting Highlands-Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama
