Photo courtesy of Fire and Rescue Department via Sinar Harian
MUAR: A car that plunged into Sungai Panchor in Panchor, Pagoh, on Monday (Oct 13) afternoon has been located by rescue teams tonight, and efforts to retrieve the vehicle are ongoing, Sinar Harian reports.
Pagoh Fire and Rescue Station operations commander PBK I Nor Alfatah Omar told the Malay language daily that the Water Rescue Team from the Muar fire and rescue station successfully identified the car's location at 10:21pm.
He explained that the car's position was detected after several dives using "marking" and "searching" techniques.
"The vehicle was found approximately 50m from the riverbank at a depth of 15m. Efforts to retrieve the vehicle are currently underway," he said in a statement Monday night.
Earlier, the Fire and Rescue Department received an emergency call at 2:42pm, and a team rushed to the scene.
"Upon arrival, the team discovered that the black car had likely veered off course before plunging into the river, which is 12m deep.
"Initial information from witnesses indicated that there was one victim, believed to be the driver, still inside the vehicle. The victim's identity has not yet been confirmed," he added.
The Water Rescue Team team began the first dive at 5:50pm using the arch pattern technique, followed by a second dive at 6:40pm to locate the vehicle.
The operation also involved teams from the Skudai and Bukit Gambir fire and rescue station, with a total of 20 personnel and various assets, including two fibre boats.
