SEBUYAU, Jan 1: The identities of a four-month-old baby boy, six adolescents comprising four boys and two girls and two adults who died after their 4×4 vehicle rolled off Triso Ferry and sank into the water have been identified.
Thirty-six-year old Siti Aishah Abdullah and 33-year-old Ronany Ting together with six children died after the purple-coloured Ford Ranger pick-up truck fell into the Triso River, Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sarawak Operation Room confirmed today.
All the bodies have been transferred to the Beladin Health Clinic for identification and care management by their families.
A medical officer at Beladin Health Clinic has confirmed the death of the victims at 7pm.
Now authorities and investigators are trying to determine what caused the vehicle to fall off the ferry.
It was believed that the passengers were from Sibu heading to Kuching and accessed the Sebuyau-Triso ferry point that connects Sebuyau, Triso, Meludam and Pusa in the Betong Division.
The scene at the Triso Ferry Wharf this late afternoon was chaotic and horrifying as bystanders together with ferry crews scrambled into waters to rescue, pull out and recover the lifeless bodies.
In the dramatic rescue, they were seen using whatever platform they could find on board the ferry as they retrieved the victims before moving them onshore.
A huge crowd gathered at the wharf while passengers on the ferry all came out as the operation was halted as screams, grief, cries and wailing can be heard from a live video recording uploaded by a netizen, which had since went viral.
Bystanders were also seen attempting to resuscitate the unresponsive and unconscious victims whose bodies were laid out around the ground with a few already covered with towels and plastics.
From photos, a young woman was crying as she held the lifeless baby in her arms after his body was recovered and many also cared for the victims before they were transported to the clinic.
Bomba Sarawak Operation Room had immediately deployed Bomba Saratok and Simunjan team to the site located at Jalan Beladin Triso upon receiving report of the incident at 3.15pm today.
Bomba Simunjan is the nearest station to the site about 62km and has to connect to the other side of the river via ferry while Bomba Saratok Station is 98km away and connecting via Pusa Ferry.
Bomba Saratok with a seven-member team was headed by PBK II KUP Yusuf Jenamin while Bomba Simunjan deployed a four-member team and a rescue boat headed by PBK II Trajudin. — DayakDaily
