The Real Story About The Viral Elementary School Boy Hanging From The Basket Across The River

Kampar Regent Catur Sugeng Susanto visits the viral location of three elementary school students hanging from a basket across the river (ANTARA)

CAMPAR - The regent of Kampar, Catur Sugeng Susanto visited the viral location of three elementary school students 011 Kuntu Darusalalam village hanging from a basket while crossing the river

The Regent confirmed the incident in the Siantan River, Kuntu Darussalam Village, Kampar Kiri District. The Regent said the narrative circulating on social media was dramatized.

"I thought it was definitely not like what was reported on social media, which said this was the negligence of the local government," he said.

A local resident, Dt Rajo Batuah who saw and knew firsthand the incident, said that in the 29-second video there were three children named Dermi Zibua (11) class III, Marpin (8) class I, and Jerini Sarona Zibua class I hanging across the river using basket attached to a rope.

Eli Yudi Baruhu, one of the boy's parents, is an oil palm plantation worker. Eli lives not far from the crossing location.

The number of school children who cross in the extreme way is also not much and most of them are children of oil palm workers. The non-permanent worker from Nias is on the river bank. The basket used to cross the three children is a container for transporting palm oil across the river.

Currently, there are about 20 people living in oil palm plantation camps. Meanwhile, there are about seven children in school, five elementary school students and two junior high school students.

Caption

The same thing was also explained by a community leader as well as Ninik Mamak or a local customary leader, Herizal. He explained that the river was a small river and not deep. Even during the current dry season, motorbikes and pedestrians can cross the river at many points.

"When it rains and the water is deep, they don't go there, usually their parents take them to school. It looks like there are stones at the bottom of the river, motorbikes can pass through the river," said Herizal.

Crossing with the palm basket that the boy uses is not the only access. There is an access road and a bridge that takes around 10 km from the incident for children living in oil palm plantations to go to school.

The video was deliberately recorded for fun when the children came home from school. While the narrative is called dramatized.

"Once again the video is not exactly the same as the actual situation," said Herizal.