77-year-old feared drowned after car plunges into river
SUNGAI PETANI: Search and rescue operations entered their 13th hour today for a senior citizen feared drowned after his car plunged into Sungai Lubuk Kawah here late last night.
SUNGAI PETANI: A 77-year-old man, Mat Yusof Hashim from Felda Teloi Timur, Kuala Ketil, has been missing since late last night after his car plunged into Sungai Lubuk Kawah. The vehicle, a Proton Wira, skidded into the river at 11.40pm. A distress call was made at 11.46pm, prompting a 13-hour search and rescue operation. Five firefighters and seven Water Rescue Unit members from Sungai Petani were dispatched.
Despite their efforts, no occupants were found in the car. Rescuers continued their search in a 1km stretch of the river, facing strong currents, fast-moving water, a depth of 1.8m, and obstacles like fallen trees and oil palm fronds. The K9 Tracker Dog Unit was called in for assistance. The car was retrieved at 3am, showing signs of a shattered window, impact marks, and a dented roof.
It remains uncertain whether the victim was thrown from the vehicle or trapped inside. As there were no new leads, the search area will be expanded to Sungai Muda, approximately 2km away.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
