A motorist was found drowned after the vehicle she was driving was swept away by flood waters along Jalan Nitar Utama in Mersing, Johor yesterday, reported The Sun Daily.
The vehicle was found about 15 m from the spot where it was washed away by flood waters, according to fire and rescue department operations commander Abdul Muiz Mukhtar. A search operation by rescuers was launched at 11am yesterday, and the vehicle the victim was driving was found in an overturned position at 6:55pm, according to the report.
Upon the rescue team’s arrival, there were no indications that the victim was still at the location of the incident, and the team conducted a search in the Felda Nitar 1 and Felda Nitar 2 areas, Abdul Muiz said.
The body of the victim was found inside the car, and the vehicle took rescuers around 40 minutes to recover as there were trees obstructing the rescuers, said Johor fire and rescue department acting director Mohd Rizal Buang.
In a separate statement, the 23-year-old victim was said to be travelling from Mersing to Kluang when the incident occurred, and the body has been sent to Hospital Mersing for post-mortem and identification, said Mersing district police chief Abdul Razak Abdullah Sani.
Flood waters can rise deceptively quickly, and they can and have led to tragic outcomes. In these situations, motorists should ramp up their situational awareness, and check maps for routes as well as social media feeds for news of any developing floods before taking to the road.
If one is already on the move in a vehicle, be especially vigilant with the surroundings, especially when the weather takes a turn for the worse; look out for bodies of water, such as rivers, that could present an immediate risk of flooding.
If water levels are visibly rising, take a detour to avoid and move to higher ground, even if it means driving away from your intended destination. Delay your travels where possible, as floods present a serious risk, as shown here. Flood water will eventually recede.
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condolences to the family of the drowned victim.
Lagi lagi P2 keluar. Haiz
Innalillahiwainnailaihirajiun, takziah kepada keluarga mangsa.
Very sad news.
Tu la orang dulu2 ada cakap kalau kail panjang sejengkal, lautan dalam jangan diduga.
It is a bit late for me to comment. Deepest condolences to the beveared family. Taking this as a lesson, I hope our MOT can draft a safety lesson for those taking the driving classes on driving a vehicle (car, lorry, motorbike) safely during a flood. I am afraid many were delusioned by Tiktok/Youtube showing a heroic lucky one navigating through the flooded road. You cannot depend on luck only. Have common sense.