FAMILY VACATION TURNS INTO TRAGEDY AS FOUR FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN ACCIDENT ON THE WAY

GUA MUSANG, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- Shazwani Ismail, 39, was looking forward to a vacation in Cameron Highlands, but tragically never made it after the car she was traveling in with three other family members was struck by a lorry in a fatal accident at Kilometre 86 of Jalan Gua Musang-Lojing today.

The victim’s sister, Najdiah, 41, said Shazwani was excited to go on the trip this week to avoid traffic congestion during the upcoming Deepavali celebration next week, adding that the family had planned to head to the holiday destination today and return tomorrow.

“We were travelling in a convoy of three cars, with the car driven by my younger sister, Farhana, 35, trailing behind the other two family vehicles.

“After stopping at a gas station, her car didn’t show up, and they couldn’t be reached,” she said when met by reporters at the Forensic Unit of the Gua Musang Hospital today.

Najdiah said at the time, they assumed that Shazwani’s phone might have no coverage, so they decided to proceed with their journey. However, they eventually chose to turn back to look for her after none of the passengers in the car responded to their calls.

“When we arrived at the scene, we saw a lorry had crashed, and I noticed fragments of my sister’s car on the road. I stopped the car and approached the police officers at the scene, and was informed that their car had fallen into a ravine,” she recounted.

Earlier, a fire department spokesperson reported that three men and two women were killed in an accident involving a lorry and a car on Jalan Gua Musang-Lojing today.

The five deceased were identified as Mohd Junaizi Jusoh, 48; Shazwani Ismail, 39; Farhana Ismail, 35; Muhammad Fakrul Danish Mohd Junaizi, 20, all passengers in a Perodua Myvi; and the lorry driver, G. Mageswara, 53.

Meanwhile, Gua Musang District Police Chief Supt Sik Choon Foo said initial investigations found that the accident occurred around 11 am when the lorry, travelling from Cameron Highlands towards Lojing, lost control and swerved into the opposite lane.

“The lorry collided with the vehicle carrying the four victims, causing it to plunge into the ravine, while the heavy vehicle overturned onto the opposite lane,” he said.

-- BERNAMA