Danger from above: (From top) The car crushed by a tree in Tuaran; and firemen clearing a fallen tree in Sungai Siput, where a car and lorry were damaged.
KOTA KINABALU: A driver and his passenger had a close shave with death after a tree fell on their car along the Tuaran road during strong winds and heavy rain.
The men, both 62, were travelling from the city to nearby Likas in the 11.15am incident.
Sensing they could not avoid the tree on time, they decided to pull on the handbrake while reclining their seats.
The Sabah Civil Defence Department said they dispatched a team to the scene upon receiving the distress call.
“We were informed that the victims were travelling from the city and the weather was terrible at that time,” said its deputy director Lt Kol (PA) Erwin@Elverowen Kinsui.
“As they neared the location where the tree was falling, they knew they would not be able to avoid getting hit.
“They decided to just recline their seats and minimise impact. Luckily, their quick thinking paid off because they did not sustain major injuries,” he said.
The two were still pinned to their seats when rescuers arrived at the scene and firemen had to use chainsaws to cut parts of the vehicle to get them out.
They were later sent to a hospital for treatment.
The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department had received a total of 23 calls about fallen trees as of 3pm yesterday.
In PERAK, strong winds and heavy rain lashed the state, toppling trees, resulting in injuries and causing damage to vehicles.
Perak Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said until 6pm yesterday, a total of 17 cases had been reported.
He said in Kamunting, two people, believed to be a man in his 40s and his teenage daughter, were seriously injured when a tree fell on the motorcycle they were riding near Taman Glen View at 12.53pm yesterday.
“Two women also sustained light injuries, while three others in a car escaped unhurt. They were aged between 16 and 35,” he added.
In Gerik, Sabarodzi said a tree fell on a car, but the public managed to remove the vehicle before firemen arrived, adding that no one was hurt.
In Sungai Siput, he said a car and a lorry parked by the roadside at Batu 1, Jalan Lintang, were damaged.
“A distress call was made at 1.42pm, and thankfully, no one was injured.
“Our men have been cutting up the branches of all the uprooted trees to ensure the safety of road users,” Sabarodzi added.
