The parents of the three primary school pupils who drowned in Kampar River bridge collapse on Oct 26 are to file a RM100 million civil suit against the schools and authorities involved for negligence.

According to Sungai assemblyperson A Sivanesan, his legal firm A Sivanesan & Co will file the lawsuit in the Kuala Lumpur High Court next week.

Nine are to be named in the suit. They are SJK (T) Mambang Diawan, SJK(T) Gopeng, the Kinta Selatan district education office, the Perak Education Department, the Education Ministry, the commandant of the 1Malaysia camp, the sponsor of the bridge, the contractor who built the bridge and the Malaysian government.

NONE The three girls who drowned in the incident were N Dina Deva and M Davadharshini (left) , both aged 11, from SJK (T) Mambang Diawan in Batu Gajah and V Diviyasri, 12, from SJK (T) Gopeng.

They were among 22 pupils crossing the suspension bridge over the Kampar River from SK Kuala Dipang back to a camping site across the river when the bridge collapsed at 10.30pm on Oct 26.

The cable-bridge, suspended nine metres above the river, was built recently to replace an existing one that had come apart with age.

Initial investigations revealed weak foundation work had caused the metal pillar anchoring the cable was ripped off from its concrete foundation, causing the bridge walkway to collapse into the river.

The three victims were swept away while the remaining 19 managed to scramble to safety.

Diva's body was found at 8.40am the following day in Kampung Pasir, about three kilometers from the scene of the incident while the other two bodies were recovered some time later.

The girls were among a group of 294 pupils aged between 10 and 12 from 64 schools in the Kinta Selatan district attending a four-day 1Malaysia camp organized by the Education Ministry.

Authorities responsible

The pupils were monitored by 25 teachers and the camp was held at the Kinta Selatan district education office co-curricular centre in SK Kuala Dipang, Jeram near Kampar.

As the three victims were minors, the suits will be filed on their behalf by their fathers. They are K Mageswaran 43, (father of Davadharshini), lorry driver T Nathan 42, (father of Dina) and K Vasuthavan (father of Diviyasri).

corpse snatching general hospital case 301106 a sivanesan Sivanesan (right) said he had spoken personally to the parents of the three victims and advised them on the legal recourse available to them.

"The parents are furious at the Perak state education department deputy director Muhammat Roli Hassan for his statement in Berita Harian t oday," said Sivanesan.

"He was quoted as saying parents have signed letters of undertaking that they will not hold the school and the education department responsible for any untoward incidents during the course of the camp," said Sivanesan.

"This letter of undertaking is like writing on a piece of toilet paper which has no legal basis but is used to frighten parents from holding the authorities liable," he pointed out.

"This is utter nonsense in the eyes of the law as the negligence was not caused by the children but by the authorities and as such they are liable to pay for the unnecessary deaths of the three young innocent children," he said.

It was learnt that only six children are allowed to cross at any one time across the new bridge but this precaution was thrown to the wind when 22 children were allowed to rush onto the bridge