TAWAU: A 13-year-old boy found unconscious in a drain at Kampung Tanjung Batu Darat – Taman Ria 9 on Tuesday was confirmed to have died from drowning, police said.
Acting district police chief DSP Champin Piuh said doctors established the cause of death following a post-mortem conducted at the Tawau Hospital Forensic Unit on Tuesday night.
He said the boy, a pupil at a charity-assisted private school in Tawau, was discovered after a 47-year-old man lodged a report at 2.27pm and rushed him to hospital, where doctors confirmed he had already died.
Champin said early police checks at the scene found no signs of foul play, and the case has been classified as sudden death in line with procedures under the Criminal Procedure Code.
He also dismissed social media claims that the body was found inside a water supply pipe, after a representative of the Water Department lodged a report clarifying that the boy was discovered in a drain and that the incident did not affect the treated water supply.
