Two Dead, Two Injured As Car Plunges Into Ravine

KUANTAN, Jan 4 (Bernama) -- Two women were killed, and two others seriously injured when their car skidded and plunged into a 20-foot-deep ravine at Kilometer 152.4 of the East Coast Expressway near Felda Nerek, near here this morning.

A spokesperson for the Pahang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) said 16 firefighters from the Maran and Temerloh Fire and Rescue Stations were dispatched to the scene after the department was alerted to the accident at 11.07 am.

“Upon arrival, we found a Nissan Almera that had veered off the road and plunged into the ravine. Four adult women were trapped in the vehicle. Using specialised rescue tools, our team worked to extricate them," he said in a statement.

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He added that two women were pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two were seriously injured and were rushed to Temerloh Hospital for treatment.

The remains of the deceased are still at the accident site and have been handed over to the police for further investigation.

In a separate statement, Maran police chief Supt Wong Kim Wai i confirmed that the two women who lost their lives in the accident were the rear-seat passengers of the Nissan Almera. They were identified as V. Kohmathy, 61, and K. Vasanthy, 60, both from Selangor.

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The driver, S. Nishantini, 33, and front seat passenger, K. Turgaa Shini, 24, sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment at Temerloh Hospital. 

According to Wong, the Nissan Almera, which was traveling from Banting, Selangor, to the Sri Marathandavar Temple in Maran, lost control when it reached KM152.4 of the East Coast Expressway. The vehicle veered off the road to the left and plunged into a ravine.

“As a result, Kohmathy and Vasanthy, seated in the rear, died at the scene. Nishantini and Turgaa Shini, seated in the front, were seriously injured,” he said adding that the four victims were related to one another.

It was found that the driver's licence had expired on Dec 21 last year.

A post-mortem was conducted at 5.30 pm at Jengka Hospital, and authorities have launched an investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which pertains to causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.

-- BERNAMA