Tough task: Firefighters recovering victims from the crashed four-wheel-drive vehicle.
KOTA KINABALU: A man was killed while another was seriously injured following a mishap along Jalan Pantai heading to the Lahad Datu town area early yesterday.
The two men were travelling in a four-wheel-drive vehicle when the driver, Wilyamil Ahajul, 34, apparently lost control and crashed into a road divider before plunging into an open sewer hole under construction.
It is learnt that the project is being handled by a government department and barriers had been put up around the pit, but there was no solid covering on top of it.
The other passenger, Muhammad Almadi Hassan, was killed as he was believed to have been trapped in his seat, which was submerged in the water.
Deep plunge: Onlookers gathering at the accident scene in Lahad Datu as emergency services arrive.
Wilyamil sustained a broken arm.
Lahad Datu Fire Station chief Sumsoa Rashid said they received an emergency call at around 7.04am and reached the scene about four minutes later.
“The vehicle had landed on its side in the 7m-deep jacking pit.”
He said operations commanding officer Mohd Noor Asri reported that one of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene by health officials, while the surviving man was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Sumsoa said the deceased’s body was handed over to police for further action.
Barriers were also placed at the accident scene to prevent other incidents.
