KUALA LUMPUR: An eight-year-old girl who was feared to have disappeared from school here on Wednesday (March 30) evening has been found safe.

       This was confirmed by Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Muhammad Idzam Jaafar (pic) when contacted by Bernama on Wednesday night.

       ACP Idzam said the child was found in Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, here.

       "Currently, a police personnel from the Cheras district police headquarters is taking down a statement from the child’s mother,” he said.

       Earlier, the disappearance of Sofia Raniya, a pupil of SK Taman Midah 1, Cheras, had gone viral on social media after her mother could not find her when she went to fetch her at school on Wednesday evening.

       Meanwhile, Sofiya’s mother, Ryana Mohd Nor, 41, denied the allegation that her daughter had entered the wrong van by mistake before she was reported missing, as the family never used the transport service.

       "Every day, either myself or my other family members will send and pick up the children from school, we do not use the van service," she told Bernama here Wednesday night.

       Ryana revealed her daughter informed her that she had been asked by a man to board a van before being dropped off at the lobby of an apartment building.

       Ryana said she received a call from the police at 9.30pm Wednesday informing her that her daughter had been found safe.

       "I understand that the police received a phone call from a resident of the apartment reporting about a child who was left alone at the lobby of the apartment," she said.

       She also thanked the police and all parties who helped spread the word about the disappearance of her child until she was found. - Bernama