LUNDU, Aug 21 — The mother of Alasma Jithil, 14, one of the three victims who went missing after a boat capsized in Sungai Batang Kayan yesterday, has accepted her fate.
Mutiar Nyodieng, 50, said she hoped the search and rescue (SAR) team would be able to give her closure.
“I hope the police and firefighters can find my daughter, although I know the chances of finding her alive are slim.
“However, no matter her condition, I still hope she can be found, and I want to see her remains,” she told reporters at the village this morning.
She said Alasma, who was the youngest of five siblings, took the boat to school daily.
“Every morning, she would take that boat to school as she needed to cross the river.
“So, yesterday morning, my heart broke when I received the news about the incident that caused my daughter to go missing,” she said.
She appealed to the authorities to act quickly to ensure the villagers would no longer need to rely on boats to cross the river.
“We hope the government will consider building a bridge for the residents of Kampung Selampit,” she said.
As of 12pm today, Alasma and 17-year-old Helena Fasha Petrus have yet to be found.
The body of 15-year-old Vilkie Wilson was found floating in the river about 10 metres from the Fire and Rescue Department operations centre at 11.58am.
Yesterday, Lundu police chief DSP Damataries Lautin said the boat capsize tragedy is suspected to have occurred due to overloading.
He said initial investigation revealed that around 6.15am, the wooden boat with 20 passengers onboard, comprising 16 students and four adults, and a motorcycle, was crossing the river from Kampung Selampit.
The boat started capsizing when it reached the middle of the river. — The Borneo Post
