KOTA KINABALU – The body of a 37-year-old man was recovered at 11.28am today from a Perodua Myvi that was fished out of Sg Dambai, said fire officials.
However, driver Simon Sange Tupe, 68, who filmed his attempt to cross the flooded Kg Dambai bridge that leads to nearby Kg Kionsom Lama, Inanam, here about 5pm yesterday, remains missing.
The video, which has been widely shared on social media, shows him trying to drive the car across the bridge, but strong currents swept the vehicle into the river.
Search-and-rescue (SAR) operation chief Kenneth Wilfred said personnel received an emergency call at 6.45pm and arrived at the scene 15 minutes later.
However, they were unable to initiate a SAR operation immediately due to bad weather and strong currents.
“We could only search for the victims on land with the help of villagers. The search continued until this morning. The villagers then discovered the vehicle about 8am,” he told a press conference at the SAR post near Kg Dambai here.
He said the vehicle was discovered 2km to 3km from the bridge.
Recovery took several hours as the car was filled with mud. More than 50 people attempted to pull it to the surface with a rope, but failed.
Rescuers then sought the assistance of a contractor, who spared two cranes to lift out the vehicle, in which a body was found.
“The SAR operation to locate the driver is ongoing. A total of 41 fire and rescue personnel are involved, and they are divided into three teams. One will search from Kg Dambai to Kg Kionsom Lama, another will conduct a water surface search, and the third team will search between Yayasan Sabah and Inanam Laut,” said Wilfred.
He said he is aware that messages saying the victims were found safe have been circulating since yesterday.
He urged the public to refrain from speculating and sharing unverified messages.
The two men in the vehicle were from Kg Kionsom Lama.
A villager who wanted to be known only as Mary said the bridge is the only connecting link to the village.
“The bridge is often flooded during downpours. If the situation is serious, we have to wait until the water recedes before we can drive across the bridge.”
Several districts in Sabah’s west coast have been suffering floods due to heavy rains since Wednesday. – The Vibes, September 4, 2021
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