A three-year-old boy died on Monday evening after falling through a hole in the Victoria Bridge in Kuala Kangsar, according to police.

Sungai Siput district police chief Supt Charan Ai Wan said the boy was walking across the bridge while holding his father's hand when he fell through a hole. The boy's mother, who was at the scene, witnessed the fall and saw her son on the road beneath the bridge, Supt Charan said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Police were alerted to the incident at 6.40pm on Monday, and the child was taken to Kuala Kangsar Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 7.40pm.

The victim, identified by Malay Mail as Abdul Rafee Abdul Halim, was the youngest of five siblings. He had travelled with his family from Kluang, Johor, for a holiday in Kuala Kangsar and was visiting the bridge when the incident occurred.

Investigation and response

The case has been classified as sudden death, and further investigations are underway, Supt Charan said.

Following the incident, the Kuala Kangsar Municipal Council cordoned off the Victoria Bridge with safety tape, according to Malay Mail.

The Victoria Bridge is a disused railway bridge built in 1897 across the Perak River that has since been turned into a tourist attraction, The Star noted.