Bintulu: A seven-year-old boy was found drowned in a water catchment near the Spait traffic lights along Jalan Celestine Ujang here yesterday. Bintulu district police chief Supt Nixon Joshua Ali reported that at approximately 8.30 pm, police received a call from a man who reported that his son had gone missing near the junction to Taman Seri Pelabuhan.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, police MPV Unit personnel and a team from the Bintulu Fire and Rescue Station were dispatched to the location to assist in the search for the missing boy. The victim was eventually discovered at the bottom of the five-metre deep pool, which is situated about 50 metres from a workers’ quarters. Initial examinations revealed no signs of foul play on the victim’s body.

Medical officers from Bintulu Hospital confirmed that the boy died at the scene. The case has been classified as a sudden death.