POLICE CONFIRM IDENTITIES OF TOURISTS KILLED IN FALLEN TREE INCIDENT

GEORGE TOWN, Sept 19 (Bernama) -- Police have confirmed the identities of the two Chinese tourists who were killed by a fallen tree in the compound of the Penang Peranakan Mansion in Lebuh Gereja here, yesterday.

Northeast District Police chief ACP Razlam Ab Hamid said the victims were identified as Liu Zhu, 69, and his daughter Liu Xinxin, 36. They were scheduled to check out from their hotel in Tanjung Bunga today.

"They arrived in Penang on a direct flight from China on Sept 14 for a holiday in the country and were supposed to check out of their hotel today to continue their vacation in Malaysia.

"Post-mortem examinations carried out at the Forensic Medicine Department of Penang Hospital (HPP) revealed that both victims died due to traumatic asphyxia in a person trapped in a vehicle due to a fallen tree," he said when contacted by Bernama today.

He added the police had informed the Chinese embassy and the victims' families about the unfortunate incident.

Razlam said the victims' family members have indicated they will come to claim the bodies as soon as possible and bring them back to China.

"Currently, the bodies are being kept at the Forensic Medicine Department of HPP until their family arrives to claim them," he said.

In the incident, a man and his daughter were killed after the car they were in was crushed by a tree uprooted during a storm along with falling building debris.

Northeast Zone Officer of the Penang Fire and Rescue Department, Mohd Syafiq Nor Azman, reported that the department received an emergency call at 2.19 pm. It was understood that during the incident, the victims had just gotten into their car, which was parked in the compound of the Penang Peranakan Mansion.

The man was seated in the rear left passenger seat, while the woman was in the front passenger seat. They had reportedly just exited the tourist attraction building before the incident occurred.

-- BERNAMA