Kuala lumpur: The Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) has intensified its search and rescue (SAR) efforts by extending the search area to a five-kilometre radius in the ongoing mission to find a boy who is feared to have drowned after falling into a drain in Bandar Puncak Alam.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the second day of search operations is being conducted along the waterway starting from Lorong 12/30, Cahaya Purnama, the location where the boy was last seen, extending to the Alam Jaya Industrial Park. Assistant Fire Superintendent Azreel Izaidi Ahamad, the operations commander from the Bestari Jaya Fire and Rescue Station, stated that the search strategy follows the water flow pattern. The strong current is believed to have carried the boy downstream, and the search efforts are also considering potential interruptions in the water flow at various points.

Azreel Izaidi noted that the operation involves 19 personnel, including members from the Bestari Jaya Fire and Rescue Station, the Water Rescue Unit (PPDA), and the K9 Unit. The K9 Unit has been deployed to detect any leads at the site where the boy is presumed to have fallen before broadening the search to include nearby culverts and drains. He explained that due to the low water level in the culverts, the search does not involve diving; instead, personnel are walking through the area.

Moreover, Azreel Izaidi mentioned that checks are being conducted in underground passages such as manholes and curved sections to ensure the boy is not trapped. The rescue team is also searching the area leading towards the estuary of the small river and Sungai Buloh, as per the Fire and Rescue Department's action plan.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department's assistant director of operations, Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar, had previously reported that the boy, identified as 10 years old, was feared to have drowned after being swept away by strong currents in Bandar Puncak Alam. The SAR operation was initiated shortly after the incident was reported.