ALOR SETAR: A lorry that was carrying a full load of tomatoes overturned while being towed at KM71.4 of the North-South Expressway (PLUS) near Pendang, completely blocking off southbound traffic.
Pendang district police chief Supt Rodzi Abu Hassan said the PLUS Traffic Monitoring Centre reported the accident at around 10.30am on Sunday (March 9).
"The tow truck was towing the (broken-down) lorry from Changlun to Selayang, Selangor.
"When they reached the scene, the locking mechanism beneath the lorry's cabin detached, causing the tow truck to go out of control and veer into a ditch. The lorry carrying tomatoes tipped over, completely blocking the southbound lane," he said in a statement on Sunday.
Pendang Fire and Rescue Station chief Zulkifli Manaf said they received a distress call at 10.15am and arrived at the scene 30 minutes later.
"No casualties were reported. Six firemen from Pendang were deployed to clear oil spills caused by the accident, while the lorry workers cleaned up the tomatoes scattered on the road," he said.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Highway Authority, in a Facebook post, said that clearance work was underway. All southbound lanes were closed, causing a 6km-long traffic jam.
A contraflow lane was activated from KM70.8 to KM71.9, and road users are advised to plan their journeys accordingly. – Bernama
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