JITRA: A family of six, including a baby who was found dead, is believed to have tried to get out of their car, which plunged into the Korok River here, but was unsuccessful.
Kedah Fire and Rescue Department Zone 1 chief Senior Fire Officer I Ahmad Aminuddin Abd Rahim said that all the victims were found gathered in the back seat of the car that was completely submerged in the river bed, reported Sinar Harian.
"It is possible that they tried to get out," he said at a press conference at the scene of the incident on Monday (July 7).
The victims were identified as Muhammad Azim Izat Ishak, 32, and his wife, Nurul Hidayah Khadijah Razman Efendi, 31, along with their four children: Putra Rayyan Nur Izat, 9; Eve Adriana, 8; Anayla Huma'ira, 7; and Tuah Haidar, six months old.
According to Ahmad Aminuddin, the fire brigade had to break the window and cut the body of the car to remove all the victims.
"When the body is in water for a certain period, it expands and makes it difficult to remove," he explained.
He added that the distance between the location of the sunken car and the riverbank was only about one meter, while the estimated depth of the river was six meters, with a width of around 7.6 meters.
"The operation is not too difficult because the car is already floating and can be pulled to the bank," he added.
On Sunday (July 6), Sinar Harian reported that a couple with their four children, including a six-month-old baby, were reported missing after spending the night at a family member's house in Taman Aman near here since Saturday morning (July 5).
They were thought to be missing when they did not return home in Jerlun, and they could not be contacted.
Muhammad Azim's younger brother, Nur Adliah Shuhada, stated that his brother and his family typically came to spend the night at his house on Fridays.
