Passenger killed after pickup truck plunges down seven-metre jacking pit in Lahad Datu

LAHAD DATU (Jan 23): The passenger of a pickup truck was killed after the vehicle he was travelling in plunged down a seven-metre-deep jacking pit on Jalan Pantai here.

Lahad Datu fire station chief Sumsoa Rashid said the pickup was travelling in the direction of Lahad Datu town when the accident occurred.

He identified the victim as Muhammad Almadi Hassan.

He said the 34-year-old driver of the pickup broke his hand in the incident, which saw the vehicle land on its side and being partly submerged in water.

A total of 14 firefighters were sent to the location after receiving an emergency call at 7.04am.

“The report at the scene indicated that the pickup truck had skidded off the road and hit a barrier before falling into the seven-metre-deep and six-and-a-half-metre-wide jacking pit that was being constructed by the Sabah Sewerage and Drainage Department,” Sumsoa said in a statement.

“Bomba extricated both victims from the vehicle and out from the hole using ropes and stretchers.”

He said Muhammad Almadi was confirmed dead at the scene by medical personnel.

He added that Bomba later installed safety barriers around the area to prevent further incidents.

The operation ended at 9am.