A LOCAL man in Sibu town was swept away by floods early this morning in the central Sarawak region after his four-wheel drive was caught in flood waters along a highway and swept into a canal.
The missing man is the driver and has been identified as a 53-year-old local man from Sibu, said the Sibu Fire and Rescue Department.
Search and rescue teams were deployed to the flooded site at Jalan Ling Kai Cheng in Sibu town after being alerted by the public shortly after midnight.
"The vehicle was swept away and submerged after the driver was caught in rising floods.
"The site where the vehicle is submerged is flooded to about three to four metres deep.
"Rescue team divers had dived several times but could only find a bag containing personal items but the driver was not found after two hours of search efforts," said the department.
Search teams are extending their operations in the flooded area to try to locate the driver.
Sibu and other districts in Sarawak were hit by king tide measuring 6.1 metres high last night plus torrential rain.
Sarawak is seeing massive floods and landslides throughout the state as it is being battered by the landas season which is the equivalent of the monsoon.- February 1, 2025
