MIRI: The first day of the New Year saw three persons killed in two separate accidents in the northern region.
A rider and pillion rider were killed in a head-on collision between a motorcycle and a van at Batu Niah, Miri division Friday afternoon.
According to a source, Ahmad Miran and Zainal Samy were riding their motorcycle from Batu Niah Bazaar when it collided with the van near a junction leading to Niah National Park.
Both victims, believed related, were thrown off the machine.
They were rushed to Niah Clinic.
One of them died on the way to the clinic while the other on arrival.
The uncle and nephew were seen having a drinking session with friends in Batu Niah bazaar prior to the accident.
The van’s driver was on its way to Batu Niah after church service. Both the driver and his 11 passengers were unhurt in the accident.
After the accident, three passengers got out from the van to control the traffic but another motorcycle came and knocked the trio down. The bike went out of control and the rider and pillion rider were thrown off.
In another accident, a 26-year-old woman was killed when the car she and her husband were travelling in collided with another car near the Asean Bridge at Kuala Baram by-pass around 1am on Friday.
The victim and her husband were trapped in the wreckage. The husband was freed from the wreckage by a passer-by but the woman died on the spot.
The other car caught fire but the driver and four passengers were pulled out from the car by passers-by. The causes of both accidents are being investigated.