Search ongoing for 11-year-old girl feared drowned in Menggatal River

KOTA KINABALU: Authorities are continuing search efforts for an 11-year-old girl who is feared to have drowned after jumping from a bridge into a river in Menggatal, near here, on Thursday.

The girl, identified as Indah Tawasil, who was reportedly differently abled (OKU), is believed to have leapt into the river at Kg Lokub to join other children swimming but did not resurface.

Kota Kinabalu Fire Station chief Ordine Gilu said they received a distress call at 1.03pm and arrived at the scene approximately 40 minutes later. A surface search and rescue operation was immediately launched and efforts to locate the girl are ongoing.

It had been raining in many parts of the city since late afternoon, which may complicate the search.