Trailer driver, passenger crushed to death by truck they were transporting in Sarawak

Two men died after an articulated truck they were transporting on a trailer crushed them in a freak accident in Miri, Sarawak on Wednesday (Dec 3). 

The incident occurred on Jalan Miri Bypass at around 4.20pm, according to local media reports. 

In a CCTV footage of the incident posted on Facebook, the trailer can be seen traveling along the road towards a traffic light junction before slowing down. 

As it comes to a halt, the articulated truck in the back slides forward, crushing the driver's cabin and scattering debris across the road. 

Firefighters who arrived at the scene found both men trapped inside the mangled cabin. 

@asiaone A trailer driver and his assistant in Sarawak were killed in a freak accident on Wednesday (Dec 3) when the heavy machinery load they were transporting moved forward, as the vehicle was coming to a stop at the traffic junction, crushing the trailer’s cabin they were in. #MalaysiaNews #Malaysia #Sarawak #Road #Accident #HeavyVehicle ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

"The team then opened the driver's side door to allow medical personnel from the Ministry of Health Malaysia to assess the condition of the victims," said the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department in a statement, reported Bernama. 

The victims, identified as the trailer driver, Melintang Mamuwas, 55, and his assistant, Tan Gawan, 44, were pronounced dead on the spot. 

The rescue operation reportedly required a crane to move the heavy machinery to recover the victims' bodies. 

Local police are appealing for witnesses to assist in investigations. 

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com