5 die in Bintulu, Beaufort crashes

BINTULU: Three people were killed and another seriously injured when the vehicle they were travelling in was involved in an accident with two cars at Km52 Jalan Tatu-Bintulu yesterday.

The dead were identified as the driver of a Proton Wira, Bakie Ladin, 33, and his two passengers, Jeanety Liah Liana Lily, 9, and Sai Imong, whose age has not been determined. Another passenger, Lily Kawan, 42, suffered serious injuries.

A Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department operations room spokesman said the drivers of the two other vehicles, a Toyota Camry and a Proton Exora, sustained minor injuries.

The spokesman said the department received a distress call at 1.47pm and despatched 10 firemen from the Tatau station.

“When they arrived at the scene, the drivers of the other two vehicles had been sent to hospital, but the victims in the Wira were trapped in their seats. The firemen had to use hydraulic equipment to get the victims out.

“Medical personnel pronounced three of them dead and rushed one to hospital.”

The spokesman said based on witness accounts, the Wira had rammed the rear of the Exora, then veered into the opposite lane, where it crashed into the Camry.

In Beaufort, two sisters were killed and four family members injured when their car collided with another vehicle in Jalan Beaufort-Sipitang, near Kampung Lingkungan on Saturday.

Also injured in the 5.45pm incident were the driver and passenger of the other vehicle.

Nur Awliya Qairina Jaidi, 4, and her sister, Nur Nadeera Yara, 1, died while receiving treatment at Sipitang Hospital.

It is understood that their grandmother, 69, and mother, 32, were seriously injured in the incident, while their brother, 3, and father, who works in the Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department of the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman, suffered light injuries.

The family had spent their holidays in their hometown here and were expected to return to Kuala Lumpur yesterday.