KULIM: The owner of a house in Kampung Padang Ubi, Labu Besar here, where two young brothers ingested snacks laced with rat poison resulting in the death of the elder boy this morning, has gone missing.
A police team was seen visiting the house today, only to discover that the owner was not around.
The team spent about an hour waiting for the owner but finally left the scene at around 12.15pm.
Kulim district police chief Superintendent Mohd Azizul Mohd Khairi has confirmed that no arrests has been made for now.
Meanwhile, a team from the Health Ministry was also seen visiting the scene today to carry out inspection around the house.
It is understood that the team has retrieved a packaging with Chinese characters, believed to be the poison's packet, from a firepit.
Checks by the NST at the village showed that as of noon, the house was still unoccupied.
On Monday, it was reported that the brothers, Muhammad Akil Syauqi, 3, and his brother Muhammad Luth Syauqi, 2, were fighting for their lives at the Penang General Hospital.
Mohd Azizul was reported as saying that the boys likely ingested the poisoned snacks hanging on a wire fence intended for wild animals encroaching near their home.
However, Akil succumbed to his injuries without regaining consciousness about 8.30am today at the hospital.