SONG: An 80-year-old man has died when the vehicle he was in veered off the road and plunged into a 10-metre-deep ravine at Mile 24, Jalan Musah Kajah, near Song on Sunday (July 20)
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said they received a distress call regarding the incident involving four others at approximately 7.50pm.
A response team was immediately dispatched to the scene, accompanied by police.
"The journey to the remote crash site was through a logging track using a Toyota Hilux and two police four-wheel-drive vehicles," it said in a statement on Monday.
Upon arrival, the team discovered that a four-wheel drive had skidded and fallen into the ravine.
The vehicle was carrying five individuals, including the driver.
Berain Sinau, one of the passengers, was pronounced dead at the scene during the incident.
Another victim, Basir Dingun, 43, sustained injuries and was transported to Kanowit Hospital by passersby.
The three remaining occupants — Sengalang Mangan, 61; Jeki Entili, 44; and the driver, Lawrence Tajing, 50 — escaped without physical injuries.
"With the assistance of the police and a logging company there, we had deployed a bulldozer to construct a temporary access route to the crash site to facilitate recovery operations. Rescuers, equipped with full personal protective equipment, carefully extricated the deceased victim and placed him on a stretcher," it added.
The victim’s body was subsequently handed over to the police for further action. Firefighters also assisted in lifting the remains into a police vehicle.
