RANAU: A 30-year-old was killed when the trailer carrying a load of electricity poles he was driving skidded and plunged into a 50-metre ravine, near here, on Thursday.
Ranau Fire and Rescue Station Chief Ridwan Bin Mohd Taib said the incident occurred at Km 30 of Jalan Ranau-Telupid, near Kg Nabutan Ranau, at 8.30am.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});He said they received a call via the station line and a group of eight personnel led by himself as the operation commander, along with four senior officers from the headquarters, rushed to the location.
“Upon arriving at the scene 30km from the station, we found the victim buried under the lorry.
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According to Ridwan, the firefighters, who were accompanied by six police personnel, remained at the scene while waiting for heavy vehicle assistance in the form of a crane from Kota Kinabalu.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“The crane arrived at 6pm and worked to lift up the lorry but was unsuccessful after three attempts.
“At 7.50pm, the technique was changed by moving approximately 70 concrete pillars, and the victim was successfully removed at 2.50am by digging the pile of soil using special equipment,” he said.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Ridwan said the victim was confirmed dead by police at the scene and was subsequently handed over to the latter for further action.
“After ensuring that there was no further danger, the operation was ended at 3.12am on Friday,” he said, adding that five of the victim’s family members were also at the scene.
Ridwan urged all motorists to be extra careful when driving across the district, especially on narrow and bending village roads.
“They should be extra careful when driving in rainy weather conditions as well as damaged or under-repair roads.
“Always be attentive while on the road and give good cooperation to other road users. Drive slowly especially when travelling on uneven roads,” he said.
He added that traffic volumes are high especially during the festive season and all motorists must be extra careful and practise prudent driving at all times.
“Make sure you get full rest the night before making a long drive, especially during this holiday season and rainy weather, where the road surfaces are wet and slippery,” he said.
