Eight Deaths Recorded In Incidents Involving Sungai Korok Over Five Years

ALOR SETAR, July 8 (Bernama) -- Sungai Korok near Jitra, the location where a family of six were found dead after their car veered off the road and plunged into the river, has claimed a total of eight lives since 2021.

Kubang Pasu district police chief Supt Mohd Radzi Abdul Rahim said the figure included casualties from the latest incident yesterday.

“In Dec 2021, a four-year-old boy died after the car he was in skidded and plunged into the river. Then, in Dec 2022, a 12-year-old boy was found dead after the car driven by his father veered off and sank into the riverbed.

“However, no accident was reported in the Sungai Korok area in 2023 and last year,” he told reporters today.

Mohd Radzi added that in May this year, a car carrying four university students plunged into the river, but all four victims managed to escape through the right rear window.

“The most heartbreaking incident was yesterday’s tragedy, where six family members died after their car was believed to have veered off the road and slid into the river,” he said.

He said accidents at Sungai Korok are believed to be caused by drivers losing control, skidding, or human error, which led to vehicles plunging into the river.

At the same time, he noted that members of the public have also suggested that safety barriers be installed along the high-risk stretches of the road, as there have been previous cases of drowning and fatal accidents.

“There is also a need to enhance road safety awareness campaigns, especially for those driving alone or with family members along narrow roads near rivers, to prevent such tragedies from recurring,” he said.

-- BERNAMA