Firemen sawing off the large branches that fell on the car.
KOTA KINABALU: A man was lucky to escape unhurt after large tree branches fell on top of his car while he was driving in Likas here on Tuesday (Sept 17).
Lintas Fire and Rescue station chief Agustavia Joe Guasi said they were alerted to the incident at 8.54am.
She said a 10-man team was then rushed to the area, located about 2km away, reaching the location at 8.58am.
“There was a man, aged 29, in the car when the incident took place but he is reported to be safe,” she said, when contacted.
“Our team subsequently sawed off the branches with a chainsaw before removing them from the vehicle.
“The operation ended at 9.18am,” Guasi added.
The incident was one of 20 cases of falling trees or branches believed caused by strong winds received by the Fire and Rescue Department throughout Sabah in the past 24 hours.
A department spokesman said the Lintas station here and northern Kota Belud station had the most calls at four cases each.
The driver was lucky to escape unhurt after the tree branches fell on his car.
This was followed by Penampang with three cases, Kudat (3), Kota Kinabalu (2) and one each in the districts of Tuaran, Tenom, Sook and Tawau.
“The public is advised to be extra careful while being outside their homes and always keep an eye on your family members due to the unfavourable weather,” the spokesman said.
Sabah Meteorological Department director Amirzudi Hashim said the current weather is caused due to wind concentration in the south of Peninsular Malaysia as well as the west coast of Sabah.
“This potentially brings about thunderstorms and heavy rain which are sometimes accompanied by strong winds,” he said, when contacted.
“This condition also causes choppy seas in the south of the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea, including in Sabah waters,” he added.
He said the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a Category 2 strong wind and rough seas warning for waters off Sabah's west coast, southeast of Reef North and Layang-Layang that is effective from Sept 17 to 21.
Strong winds of 50 to 60kmh and waves reaching up to 4.5m are expected during this period, Amirzudi said, adding this condition was dangerous for all coastal activities and shipping including fishing and ferry services.
“The public is advised to be attentive to the current weather conditions and follow the adverse weather and seas advisory issued by MetMalaysia from time to time to avoid unwanted incidents,” he said.
He added that the people could obtain the latest information through the department’s official website, MyCuaca mobile app or the official social media page.
The public may also contact the Sabah weather and earthquake operations centre at 088-413691.
