Two families lose three members each in two separate crashes in Sarikei, Mukah
SARIKEI: Two families lost three members each in two road accidents here and in Mukah.
Yesterday morning, three in a family were killed when the car they were travelling in collided head- on with a lorry and trailer near a timber camp in the Garu area between Selalang Road junction and SK Sungai Paoh, about 20km from here.
When contacted, Sarikei District police chief Supt Mat Jusoh Muhamad confi rmed that the three victims were Derman Unggu, 29; his wife Jenif fer Charlie, 32; and their nine-yearold daughter who was nicknamed Bibi.
Based on eyewitness informat ion, the accident happened around 9.30am, when the family was travelling towards Sarikei and the car somehow entered the opposite lane to collide with the on- coming lorry.
All three family members were trapped in the wreckage.
Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba)Sarikei District chief Suna Kaha said they received a report on the incident at 10.16am.
A team of 10 firefighters led by senior fire officer I I Haron Jenai would require around an hour and a half to painstakingly extricate all three from the badly damaged car, which was crushed under the front portion of the lorry.
Suna said the team required the help of a heavy machinery operator from the timber camp to move the trapped car.
Firefighters then used hydraulic rescue equipment to cut the wreckage in order to extricate the family.
Paramedics then pronounced them dead at the scene.
All three bodies were taken in an ambulance to the Sarikei Hospital mortuary for a postmortem.
Mat Jusoh added that police have detained the vehicles involved in the fatal accident for an inspection by Puspakom and have classified the case under Section 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Meanwhi le, on Thursday three members of a family were killed, while another is in critical condition following an accident at KM5 Mukah-Balingian Road in Mukah around 9.30pm.
Motorcyclist Mohamad Adika Sudin was heading home to Kampung Tutus with his wife Jaifa Mohamed and children Mohamad Aniq Yuzri, 7, and Fifi Nurlyana Safina, 6, riding pillion when a multipurpose vehicle ( MPV) collided into the motorcycle.
Bernama reported Mukah District police chief DSP Jimmy Panyau as saying that the MPV heading to Mukah from Balingian is believed to have skidded and veered into the opposite lane, hit ting the motorcycle and throwing the victims of f the machine.
“The couple died at the scene while their son at Mukah Hospital,” he said.
Fifi Nurlyana was also brought to Mukah Hospital, but was later referred to Sibu Hospital around 4am yesterday. As of press time her condition was still critical.
The male driver of the MPV, aged 37, escaped with minor injuries.