Car pulled from Bera river but woman still missing

New Straits Times

2 days ago

BERA: The Perodua Bezza that plunged into Sungai Triang yesterday has been recovered, but the woman who was in it is still missing.
District police chief Superintendent Zulkiflee Nazir said Fire and Rescue Department divers from the Bukit Angin Water Rescue Unit in Temerloh retrieved the car at 12.30pm today.
"The Bezza was found lying on its roof at the bottom of the river. However, the woman (Sakirah Akop) was not inside the vehicle.
"The car was pulled out of the water using a cable attached to a crane. Upon inspection, we found that the transmission was in 'D' (drive) mode.
"It is believed that the gear was accidentally shifted into drive, causing the vehicle to move forward and enter the river," he said when met at the Sungai Triang riverbank.
Zulkiflee said initial investigations revealed the vehicle's engine was still running when it rolled down the riverbank and into the water.
He said today's search and rescue operation involved 91 personnel from various agencies, including the police, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Force, soldiers from the Bera army camp, and local villagers.
"The search is being conducted within a 200m radius of the incident site. Team members are scouring through uprooted trees and debris near the riverbank to locate the missing woman," he said.
Yesterday, it was reported that the 31-year-old housewife and her 16-month-old daughter had accompanied her husband, a 32-year-old soldier, on a fishing trip by the river at around 1.30pm.
The car suddenly rolled forward, but Sakirah managed to hand their daughter to her husband moments before the vehicle plunged into the river. She is feared drowned.