Man drowns after motorcycle skids into ditch near Pekan

KUANTAN: A plantation worker drowned after his motorcycle skidded and fell into a ditch at the Sungai Bebar Utara oil palm plantation near Pekan on Monday (Jan 8).

Pekan OCPD Supt Mohd Zaidi Mat Zin said the incident occurred at 4.55pm when Muhammad Adhwa Haslan, 31, was on his way home to the plantation's housing estate.

"Muhammad Adhwa’s friend, who was travelling alongside, said they were navigating through 0.33m (about 1ft) of water which had overflowed onto the main road, when the victim lost control of his motorcycle and fell into the ditch.

"The witness claimed that a security guard jumped in to try and rescue the victim but failed because the water flow was too strong," he said in a statement on Tuesday (Jan 9).

Supt Mohd Zaidi said a search and rescue operation was activated in the evening but was suspended at night because of unfavourable weather conditions, and resumed the following morning.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department public relations officer Zulfadli Zakaria confirmed that Muhammad Adhwa's body was found at 10.20am Tuesday.

"The victim was found about 100m away from the incident location, at a depth of 3m. The body was handed over to the police for further action,” he said in a statement. – Bernama