A 28-year-old driver was found drowned inside his car after it skidded and plunged into a river in Alor Setar, with rescue efforts hampered by murky water and strong currents.
ALOR SETAR: A man missing after his car plunged into a river here was found drowned this afternoon.
The body of Ooi Cheah Jhun, 28, was discovered inside the car at the bottom of the river, according to the Alor Setar Fire and Rescue Station.
Witnesses reported the car skidded before plunging into the river along Jalan Ampang Bay.
The Fire Department received a call on the incident at 10.37 am and deployed a Water Rescue Team.
Deputy Fire Superintendent Ismail Mohd Zain said the team executed five dives starting at 1.29 pm.
The victim’s car was located on the riverbed at about 2.35 pm and raised to the surface using special equipment.
The body was then handed to police for further action.
Ismail said witnesses reported the car was still afloat after falling in before being swept away by strong currents.
“The car was found about 20 metres from the plunge point when it struck the river embankment and sank at a depth of seven metres,” he said.
He added that rescue teams faced difficulty locating it due to the murky water and fast river current.
