The canvass being removed from the army truck after the accident.
Survivors of the horrific accident outside the Accident and Emergency Unit of Sibu Hospital.
Remains of a soldier at the scene.
SIBU: Four soldiers were killed and nine injured when an army truck with 18 soldiers on board lost control and slammed into a tree at Mile 7, Tungku Abdul Rahman Road, on Sunday.
Sibu police chief ACP Mohd Kamal Kordi confirmed that the incident happened at about 8.30pm.
It was understood that the truck was travelling from Kanowit to the Territorial Army 510 Regiment at the Sri Rejang Camp in Jalan Kampung Nangka when the tragedy struck. Police have taken the truck driver’s statement, did a blood test on him, and released him on bail.
According to a survivor, the truck was avoiding a car coming out of a lane before it lost control.
After it hit the tree, the truck’s canvass became entangled in a branch and was torn and dragged off.
The truck continued moving forward for another 1km before it halted. Fifteen soldiers were in the truck’s compartment and five were thrown out when the canvass was dragged off.
The four who died are Ismail Borhan, Wan Farhan Fahmi, Freelee Boy George, and Mohd Radzi Abdul Razak, all aged 23 years. They had recently graduated and were posted to Sibu a month ago. Ismail Borhan of Perak and Wan Farhan Fahmi of Perlis were killed on the spot after they were thrown out of the truck. Freedlee Boy George from Sabah and Mohd Radzi Abdul Razak of Perlis died shortly after being admitted to Sibu Hospital.The nine injured soldiers were given outpatient treatment at the hospital.
According to the survivors, they had just returned from an Iban ritual called ‘Ngetas Ulit’ – a ceremony to mark the end of a mourning period – in Kanowit’s Kampung Muhibbah following the death of their col league, Thunderbird Angoh, in an accident recently.