A van carrying tourists from Singapore fell into a six-metre-deep ravine in Penang on Sunday (24 Sep).
The vehicle had reportedly skidded before it plunged into the ravine.
Unfortunately, a Singaporean woman lost her life in the crash. The accident also left the van’s driver and the other nine travellers injured.
Rescue operations lasted over two hours, and firefighters had to personally scale the hilly area as their fire engines could not go through.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the crash happened in Bukit Genting, Penang, on the night of Sunday (24 Sep).
The van had reportedly skidded before plunging into the ravine over six metres deep.
Southwest district police chief Superintendent Kamarul Rizal Jenal confirmed that there were a total of 11 victims — eight women and three men.
Among the victims were 10 tourists from Singapore and one Malaysian van driver.
They believe that the victims are a group of elderly tourists who vacationing in Penang. However, their identities are currently still unclear.
Superintendent Kamarul said, “A woman was found dead at the scene, and the other 10 injured victims were sent to Penang Hospital and Balik Pulau Hospital for treatment.”
He also added that authorities will conduct an autopsy on the deceased on Monday (25 Sep). Investigations into the cause of the crash is currently underway.
Seri Balik Pulau Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) operations chief N Prenavaran said that they received an alert about the road accident at around 8.20pm.
Around 10 minutes later, rescuers from the station arrived at the site of the crash. However, it was impossible for their fire engines to enter as it was a hilly area.
“As such, the firefighters were forced to climb the hill for 15 minutes with stretchers and emergency equipment,” he shared.
They pronounced one Singaporean woman dead on arrival, while the vehicle trapped seven others.
Source: The Star
Members of the public also managed to lift three victims to safety prior to the arrival of rescuers.
A female victim found herself stuck next to the driver’s seat. Rescuers had to utilise special equipment to cut the dashboard and steering wheel of the van to get her out.
The rescue operation took a little over two hours and ended at 10.45pm following the removal of the last victim.
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Featured image adapted from The Star.
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