TAWAU: A 41-year-old lorry driver sustained minor injuries after the 10-tonne cargo vehicle he was driving skidded and fell into a nearly 10-metre-deep ravine along Jalan Air Panas, here on Wednesday.
According to fire and rescue sources, the incident was reported around 10.43 am. The Tawau Fire and Rescue Station team arrived at the scene near Taman Rekreasi Air Panas, 11 minutes later and found the lorry in an unstable position at the edge of the ravine.
Operation Commander, PBK I Jehrey Ibno, stated that the victim was trapped inside the vehicle, and the lorry’s precarious position complicated rescue efforts.
“We had to set up an auxiliary anchor system using an excavator and a tow truck to stabilize the vehicle before we could safely extricate the victim,” he said when contacted.
The rescue operation to free the victim took over two hours and involved 11 fire and rescue personnel, assisted by two medical personnel from the Ministry of Health and three policemen.
The victim, who suffered minor injuries to his chest, hands, and legs, was successfully extracted around 1:20 p.m. and was subsequently transported by ambulance to the hospital for further treatment.
The operation concluded after the fire department confirmed there were no further risks at the scene. – James Leong
Tawau Fire and Rescue personnel working to extricate the driver from the wreckage on Wednesday.
