ONE PUPIL DROWNS, TWO MISSING AFTER SUSPENSION BRIDGE COLLAPSES AT CAMPSITE

KAMPAR (Malaysia), Oct 27 (Bernama) -- A pupil drowned and two others are
missing after a newly built suspension bridge collapsed into the Kampar River as
pupils participating in a 1Malaysia camp were walking across at Kuala Dipang
Primary School near here Monday night.

Nineteen other pupils feared missing at first had been accounted for and
were safe, police said.

The accident happened after 298 pupils from 60 primary schools in Kampar,
Tronoh and Batu Gajah in northern state of Perak had arrived to participate in a
1Malaysia camp organised by the Kinta Selatan District Education Department.

Perak Deputy Chief Police Officer Zakaria Yusof said the body of the
drowned pupil, identified as Dina Deve a/p Nathan, was recovered at 8.30am and
had been sent to the Kampar Hospital.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister,
arrived at the scene of the accident at 10.55am.

Perak Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir visited the scene Monday night and
ordered an immediate investigation into the cause of the accident.

"The suspension bridge was newly built. We want to know if it was built to
specifications as it collapsed after a metal pillar got ripped off the ground,"
he said.

A metal pillar and its concrete block foundation got ripped off the ground
in the incident and part of the bridge walkway was afloat on the river.

The Kampar River is known for extreme water sports. The part of the river
where the bridge collapsed is about 30 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep.

Villagers have joined in the search and rescue operation mounted by 222
personnel from the police, Royal Malaysian Navy, Fire & Rescue Department,
People's Volunteer Corps (Rela), Civil Defence Department and other agencies.

Zakaria said the police had asked the Education Department to furnish a list
of names of the participants of the camp.

Parents of the pupils rushed to the school last night upon hearing news of
the accident, and several of them became angry when they could not confirm the
safety of their children even as late as 3am.

The bridge collapsed when groups of pupils were walking across from the
campsite to the Kuala Dipang Primary School for their dinner or walking back
after they had eaten.
-- BERNAMA