By DayakDaily Team
TATAU, Sept 25: A shaman performed a ritual to summon the crocodile that snatched a 6-year-old girl in Kampung Seberang Pasar Lama, Tatau, as search and recovery efforts entered their eighth day today with no sign of her.
Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Tatau reported that the operation was temporarily halted at 1.55pm today to make way for the ritual and the setting of crocodile traps by a crocodile shaman engaged by the girl’s grieving family.
The young girl, identified as Cicilia Julan Intik, went missing after a crocodile attacked her right before her grandfather’s eyes while they were bathing near the river on the evening of Sept 18. An urgent search operation was launched that night.
The team, comprising firefighters, police, Civil Defence Force (APM) personnel, and Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) officers, was instructed to stand down at the operation control post.
A four-member Bomba team, led by PBK II KUP Jeffery Lanau, commenced operations at 7.20am, assembling near the bridge jetty for a briefing, and later scoured a a five-kilometre radius area along the Tatau River from the incident location.
The search also covered a round trip along the riverbank near old Tatau town but as of 10.30am, no positive signs had been found.
Tatau District Officer Jabang Juntan along with staff from the Sarawak Welfare Department visited the operation site at 10.50am to present assistance to Cicilia’s family.
The operation was called off at 5.30pm by Tatau Police chief Sergeant Zaidi Selamat, and will resume only if new evidence or signs emerge. — DayakDaily
