Sarawak Infrastructure and Ports Development Assistant Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi urged the public to not share photos and videos of the Triso ferry tragedy where a four-wheel-drive (4WD) plunged into Sungai Batang Lupar in Sri Aman yesterday (1 January 2021) on social media.
Happened at 3pm yesterday, the driver was said to have lost control of the vehicle and dove into the river. The incident claimed the lives of nine people, including a four-month-old baby.
Julaihi said that it was to respect the feelings of the victims’ family. He also expressed his condolences to all family members of the victims who perished in the incident.
He added that Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing is scheduled to visit the location where the incident took place later today (2 January 2021), accompanied by senior officers from the State Public Works Department and the Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB), according to BERNAMA.
The Ford Ranger that lost control was driven by a woman identified as Ronany Ting, 33, when on its way to Kuching from Kapit, via the Jalan Beladin-Meludam route.
The other victims are Siti Aisha Abdullah, 36, Nor Shuhada Mohamad, 16, Khairunnisa Muhamad, 14, Alvin Phang, 12, as well as three children, Wallace Phang and Mohd Aiman Mohd Hamdan, both seven, Muhd Mustaqim Mohd Hamdan, aged five and a four-month-old infant, Mohd Ahmad Mohd Hamdan.
Meanwhile, Masing, who is also Sarawak Infrastructure Development and Ports Minister, said today that the state Public Works Department (JKR) had been instructed to start erecting guard rails immediately.
The strong guard railings will be built at all ferry crossing points in Sarawak to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy.
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