Sarikei man dies after 4WD crashes into drain

SARIKEI: A late-night drive ended in tragedy when a 49-year-old local man died in a car crash here on Monday (Jan 2).

Sarikei Fire and Rescue Station chief Mahmudin Narudin said the victim, Lau Chung, lost control of his four-wheel drive before it hit a utility pole and landed in the drain beside the Jalan Nyelong bypass.

"The victim was heading to his home in Jalan Meruton from the market area," he said in a statement.

He added that the station received an emergency call at 3.55am and sent a team of nine to the scene.

"Upon arriving at the location, they found the man trapped in his vehicle.

"He was extricated without the use of rescue equipment," Mahmudin said, adding that paramedics pronounced Lau Chung dead at the scene.