Brothers drown in fishing pond

JAKARTA: Mohamad Sibli, 45, and his brother Afifi Abdul Azis, 35, were found dead on Monday after drowning in a pond in the vicinity of Kemayoran Fairground, Central Jakarta.

Both victims were residents of Cipinang Muara, East Jakarta. They were fishing at a pond located in the abandoned Jakarta Tower construction project.

The victims' relative, Chairul, said Afifi drowned after he tried to remove a fishing hook that had become stuck in the pond. Seeing that his younger brother had failed to resurface, Sibli tried to help but he also drowned.

Panicking, Chairul shouted for help to police standing by at Hall B of the fairground.

The police managed to recover the bodies at 2 p.m. They were taken home by their relatives, said an official of the Kemayoran police station. -- JP