A SIX-YEAR-OLD autistic boy who was found dead in a drain near his home in Sungai Sumun, Hutan Melintang, died due to drowning, according to a post-mortem examination.
Bagan Datuk district police chief Superintendent Mohammad Ali Mohd Jali said forensic examinations carried out at Teluk Intan Hospital confirmed drowning as the cause of death, with no evidence of physical injuries or criminal elements.
The child was reported missing at 4.54pm yesterday from his family home in Kampung Baru Sungai Sumun.
“Preliminary investigations found that the autistic child was last seen by his father in the living room of their home,” he said.
Police said that upon realising the child was missing, family members, assisted by villagers, conducted searches in the surrounding area before lodging a police report.
Following the report, a search and rescue operation was launched with the involvement of the Fire and Rescue Department of Hutan Melintang, the Bagan Datuk Civil Defence Force, the police K9 Unit from Perak, and local villagers.
The child’s body was found at around 10pm the same day, floating in a drain approximately 330 metres from his home. He was fully clothed when recovered by the search team.
Police said initial examinations found no injuries or indications of criminal involvement. The body was sent to the forensic department at Teluk Intan Hospital, where the post-mortem later confirmed drowning as the cause of death.
The case has been classified as sudden death.
Police extended condolences to the family and thanked all agencies and members of the public involved in the search and rescue operation, while urging the public not to speculate or circulate unverified information out of respect for the family’s privacy. - July 1, 2026
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