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Six Malaysian divers died after being caught in a whirlwind as they tried to rescue a teenager trapped in an abandoned mining basin.
The team, which belonged to the country's fire service, was killed during an operation in Puchong City, near Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday night.
Local authorities said that divers had been sent in search of a 17-year-old boy, fearing he had died after sinking into the pool while fishing with friends.
Police said the divers, who were all tied to a single rope, were then stuck in a vortex that had formed in the water.
They were eventually withdrawn unaware of the water after about 30 minutes and received emergency medical treatment, but could not be resuscitated.
"During the incident, the six divers were already in the water for nearly five minutes in search of the missing teenager," said District Police Chief Abdul Aziz Ali, at a press conference as a result of the incident.
"Suddenly, a strong current occurred in the area, causing the victims to end up in the water while all their equipment was down."
The victims, aged 24 to 34, were based at the Port Klang and Shah Alam fire stations.
The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department paid tribute to the six men in a message posted on Facebook on Thursday, offering condolences to their families.
The director general of the Fire and Rescue Department, Mohammad Hamdan Wahid, told the New Strait Times an anti-flood wall protecting the area had failed to contain the water during heavy rains of the day.
"There is a flood barrier at the site, but it has been flooded with floodwater," he said. "We will study the issue further to ensure that this tragedy can be avoided in the future."
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad also expressed his condolences to the families of the divers, saying the government was planning to provide them with help.
He urged them to "stay strong during a difficult time".
