EIGHT bodies from the Air Putih water surge tragedy were recovered as of 3pm today.

Kemaman district police chief Hanyan Ramlan said the latest victim was found on a sandbank, 2km from the site of the incident and has been identified as Putri Alleya Maisarah Karim, 16.

“Putri Alleya Maisarah’s body was just 500m from that of her brother’s, 11-year-old Muhammad Zulqarnain Haikal Karim, who was found on Sunday,” he told reporters at the Air Putih police station operations control centre in Chukai today.

The search resumes for two more victims – Putri Nor Fatin Karim, 14, and Muhammad Fikri Saliman, 24. 

A family of nine from Felda Lepar Hilir, Kuantan, Pahang and another individual from Batu Pahat, Johor, who was engaged to a member of the family, had gone on a picnic to the Air Putih waterfalls on Saturday. 

They are believed to have been swept away by strong currents caused by the water surge.

The victims have been identified as  Karim Abdullah, 39, Azizah Eiyi, 40, Putri Balqis Izzati Abdul Rahman, 18, Putri Alleya Maisarah, Putri Nor Fatin, Zulqarnain Haikal, Putri Nurerina Natasya, 10, Muhammad Haziq Ziqree, six, Putri Aryana Umaira Karim, four, and Fikri, 24. – Bernama, July 4, 2023.