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SIBU: A four-month-old baby was among nine people who died when their SUV plunged into the waters of the Batang Lupar River.
The other victims were four children between the ages of five and 12; and two adolescents aged 14 and 16.
Quick Action: Members of the public rush to try and rescue the passengers in the 4WD that sank into the river.
Two adults were among the dead: the 33-year-old driver and another 36-year-old woman.
The driver was trying to board a ferry yesterday to cross the river in the Sebuyau sub-district.
It is believed that the adults in the group were on their way to send their children to a religious school in Kuching. (The ferry provides access to southern Sarawak, which includes Kuching.)
According to the state Fire and Rescue Department, the nine victims have yet to be identified, but they were from Kapit.
The department said the accident occurred around 3:15 p.m. yesterday.
A passerby captured it on video, which subsequently went viral on social media.
“The seven-minute clip showed members of the public jumping into the water to remove the victims from the vehicle.
“They also got CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on them,” he said.
The department, upon receiving a distress call, dispatched two teams of firefighters from the Saratok and Simunjan stations, but it took them hours to reach the scene due to the great distance.
Saratok is about 98 km from the scene, while Simunjan is about 62 km from the ferry terminal.
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