Surabaya (ANTARA) - The joint search and rescue (SAR) team on Friday found the body of a toddler, identified only as MR, 3.5 years old, who had fallen into a gutter and was swept away by the current.

The body was discovered on the fourth day of the search operation in the Makmur River of Wiyung Sub-district, Surabaya, East Java.

Officers, who had initiated the search at 7 a.m. local time, found MR's body entangled in a mass of water hyacinths in the river near a state junior high school.

"The victim was located by the joint SAR team at 2 p.m. local time while heavy equipment was clearing water hyacinths from the Makmur River near SMPN 34 Surabaya," said Eko Aprianto, a local officer of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).

Officers are awaiting the arrival of the National Police's Inafis forensic team to conduct an autopsy before releasing the body to the victim's family.

A viral video on social media showed that MR fell into a gutter on a street on Tuesday when heavy rain inundated Surabaya.

CCTV footage obtained by officers showed MR playing with his nine-year-old cousin and another toddler. The older sibling was seen running and pointing toward the gutter.

At that time, the water level in the small gutter had risen to the level of the road, and the current was strong. Shortly after, MR was seen running toward his older sibling and approaching the gutter.

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Translator: Indra Setiawan/Naufal Ammar Imaduddin, Aditya Eko
Editor: Anton Santoso
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