Sarawak Latest News

SIBUTI: Nine people escaped death when the vehicles they were in, plunged into a ravine after a road near Kampung Beraya caved in last Saturday evening.

All the victims, including an eight months’ pregnant woman, were reported safe and only suffered minor injuries.

A section of the road at Kampung Beraya, about two kilometres from the main road junction, had caved in when the soil beneath it gave way and created a 15-metre deep and 35-metre wide ravine across the road.

The ravine had cut off the road link to Kampung Beraya. However, there are two alternative roads to reach four other villages in the area.

The nine people were travelling in two vehicles and in separate directions. Six in a 4WD pick-up were coming from the direction of Kampung Beraya while three in a Proton Iswara were going in the direction of the village. Four people in the pick-up truck were relatives of Telang Usan State Assemblyman, Lihan Jok.

The two vehicles approached each other and plunged into the ravine almost at the same time. Luckily, all in the two vehicles survived the plunge with minor injuries. The villagers helped them out of the ravine and sent the injured to Miri Hospital.

“It was dark and we were not able to see clearly ahead of us. We did not know that a section of the road had collapsed. What we had come across were sections of the road submerged by flood water,” said one of the victims, who wished anonymity.

Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, visited the injured victims at the hospital Saturday night after learning of the incident.

Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication, Lee Kim Shin, Pujut State Assemblyman Andy Chia, Political Secretary of Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Sebastian Ting and Miri City Council (MCC) Mayor, Lawrence Lai joined Chan in the visit to hospital.