KOTA KINABALU — Two people were killed after a trailer carrying a container overturned and crushed a Toyota Avanza at Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd, Jalan Pelabuhan Sepanggar, here yesterday evening.
The victims, the 53-year-old male driver and a 24-year-old female passenger, were pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel from the Ministry of Health (MOH).
The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) said it received an emergency call at 6.31pm regarding the accident before firefighters from the Kota Kinabalu Fire and Rescue Station arrived at the scene at 7.01pm, about 25 kilometres away.
According to witnesses, the trailer was in the process of loading a container beside the main road when it became unbalanced and overturned, causing the container to fall onto the Toyota Avanza travelling along the road.
Firefighters began rescue operations at about 7.05pm to extricate the victims trapped inside the car.
However, the operation required cranes from the lorry company to lift the container, with two cranes arriving at the scene at about 9.21pm.
The firefighters then used specialised equipment to remove the victims from the vehicle after the container had been lifted.
Both victims were subsequently handed over to the police for further action.
The operation, involving 26 firefighters from the Kota Kinabalu Fire and Rescue Station, ended at 10.30pm after the area was declared safe.
Operations were led by PBK I Christy Foo for Squad B and PBK I Mohd Zulfadli Usman for Squad C.
