KOTA KINABALU: Five students from the Kota Kinabalu Institut Kemahiran Mara (IKM) were killed after their car collided with a trailer lorry at Jalan Sulaman near the Rela Training Centre junction in Tuaran, on Friday afternoon (Sept 5).
The 2pm incident occurred when the compact MPV carrying the victims, all in their 20s, was believed to have skidded before crashing into the lorry transporting gravel in the opposite lane.
The students, who were heading from Sepanggar towards Kota Belud, were trapped inside the vehicle and had to be extricated by firefighters using special rescue tools.
A Health Ministry team confirmed that all five victims died at the scene.
The deceased were identified as Harianto Anuar, Neil Stanly Pletinie, Mohammad Ikhwan Kurniawan, and Mohamad Zuhaikal Mohd Zaidy, while the identity of another male victim has yet to be confirmed.
The trailer driver escaped unhurt.
Tuaran OCPD Supt Noraidin Ag Maidin confirmed the incident, adding that the bodies have been sent to the Tuaran Hospital Forensic Unit for further action.
“The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Kota Kinabalu, a 35-year-old man was seriously injured after falling from a building and landing on a car parked near the KK Plaza shopping mall this morning.
The incident occurred at around 11.45am when the man fell onto a compact car parked at the site.
Kota Kinabalu Fire and Rescue Station chief Ordine Gilu said they received a distress call at 11.54am before deploying a team to the scene.
“Upon arrival, the team used special equipment to lift the victim before handing him over to the Health Ministry’s ambulance for further treatment,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Ordine added that firefighters conducted a final inspection to ensure there were no other hazards before ending the operation at 12.30pm.
A police forensic team from the Sabah contingent headquarters was also present at the scene, while traffic and crowd control were managed effectively by officers.
