LUNDU: Three secondary school students are reported missing after a riverboat carrying 17 passengers capsized at Sungai Stamin, Kampung Selampit this morning.
The missing students have been identified as 14-year-old Alsma Jithil, Vilkie Wilson (15) and Helena Fasha Petrus (17).
A spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said the incident occurred around 6.10 am when 15 students from SMK Senibong and a local woman were on board the vessel operated by a local man.
The boat capsized shortly after, leaving four students unaccounted for while the rest managed to swim to safety.
Firefighters from the Lundu station, along with Bomba’s diving and K9 units, were dispatched to the scene, about 4km away, following a distress call at 6.33 am.
At 7.28 am, local villagers managed to rescue one of the missing students, a 16-year-old boy, and brought him to safety.
The search and rescue (SAR) operation for the remaining three students is ongoing, with local residents assisting in the effort.
At the time of writing, the three students remain missing.
