KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 -- A desperate search for a six-year-old boy who vanished from his home ended in tragedy after he was found dead in a drain at a nearby oil palm plantation in Perak.

The child had been reported missing yesterday evening after his father discovered the front door of their house in Kampung Baru, Sungai Sumun, Hutan Melintang, open and realised his son was nowhere to be found.

Firefighters, police, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force and members of the public launched an extensive search that stretched into the nearby plantation, with police deploying a K9 sniffer dog to help comb the area.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (Operations) Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the department received an emergency call...