KUALA LUMPUR – At least five hearses have been dispatched to Sri Aman Hospital from Kuching, to bring the bodies of yesterday’s Triso ferry victims home, reported Astro Awani.
The initiative is headed by civil society group Helping Unfortunate Groups and Society (Hugs) in an effort to lighten the burden on the victims’ families.
According to Hugs spokesman Mohd Sepian Abang Daud, the effort is supported by Nurul Khair Mosque and Hikmah Sarawak.
“We are leaving for Sri Aman (Hospital) at 8am with a group of volunteers.
“The volunteers are ready to help in any way possible.”
In the 3pm incident, nine people drowned when the four-wheel drive they were in plunged into Sg Triso in Saratok, after slipping off a ferry ramp at the jetty.
“We received an emergency call from the public that a vehicle had plunged into the river from the Triso ferry,” said the Fire and Rescue Department.
“A member of the public recorded the incident on video, which showed victims taken out of the river by members of the public.
“The video showed CPR being administered to the unconscious victims.”
Sri Aman district police chief Bingkok John told Bernama last night that the Ford Ranger driven by Ronany Ting, 33, was on the way to the Sarawak capital from Kapit via Jalan Beladin-Meludam.
“We believe that the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer and slide into the river.”
The nine were confirmed dead at the Beladin clinic, with the bodies undergoing a post-mortem at Sri Aman Hospital.
Besides Ronany, those killed were Siti Aisha Abdullah, 36; Nor Shuhada Mohamad, 16; Khairunnisa Muhamad, 14; Alvin Phang, 12; Wallace Phang and Mohd Aiman Mohd Hamdan, both 7; Muhd Mustaqim Mohd Hamdan, 5; and, Mohd Ahmad Mohd Hamdan, 4 months. – The Vibes, January 2, 2021
