In a tragic incident, three Malaysians lost their lives when their Toyota Alphard plunged into a 3-meter deep, water-filled drain on the Iskandar Sultan Highway.
The victims, identified as siblings Chu Wan Rou, 31, and Chu Wei Yeah, 28, along with their friend Aw Siew Chern, 35, were commuting to their workplace in Singapore at the time of the accident.
The accident occurred around 7:20 AM yesterday (1 June) in front of the BMW service centre near Tune Hotel, involving the black Toyota Alphard SUV.
According to Harian Metro, the Johor Bahru Larkin Fire Department received a report about the accident at approximately 7:20 AM and dispatched 12 firefighters, an ambulance, and a fire truck, arriving at the scene around 7:27 AM.
Photos posted by the fire department show the vehicle losing control and falling into the drain, with water submerging the car’s roof, trapping the three individuals inside. Firefighters used ropes and stretchers to remove the victims.
Wan Rou’s younger sister, Miss Chu, told Harian Metro about her family’s shock at the tragedy.
She mentioned that initially, the family received a phone call from an individual at 7:30 AM stating that her sister and brother were involved in an accident and the caller promised to share the location of the accident.
“However, until 10 AM, our family did not receive the accident location as claimed, leading us to think that the call was just a prank from an unknown individual,” Miss Chu said.
However, we were shocked when my sister’s and Siew Chern’s friends from abroad contacted us, stating that the three of them were involved in an accident while on their way to work in Singapore this morning.
Her sister’s friend who contacted them said that before the incident occurred, Siew Chern was on a video call with him when the vehicle they were in suddenly shook violently, and Siew Chern’s phone was thrown down.
My sister’s friend said he could only hear the voices of the three victims screaming in fear, asking for help, and saying their vehicle was sinking in water,” she added tearfully.
The accident was believed to have occurred due to slippery road conditions after the rain.
Superintendent Yusof Othman, Deputy District Police Chief of Johor Bahru North, stated that the vehicle, driven by one of the victims from Bukit Indah to Johor Bahru, lost control before skidding to the roadside and plunging into the water-filled drain.
Health Ministry paramedics confirmed the deaths upon arrival, and the bodies were handed over to the police for further action. The accident scene was controlled around 8:37 AM, and firefighters left around 8:40 AM.
Miss Chu said she would bring her sister’s and brother’s bodies back to Yong Peng, Batu Pahat, for cremation ceremonies after the post-mortem process is completed.
The victims were well-known in their community. Wei Yeah worked in the restaurant industry, Wan Rou was a beautician, and Aw Siew Chern was an employee at a hair salon next to Wan Rou’s beauty salon.
Friends and family expressed their grief and disbelief at the sudden loss, with many recalling the close bond shared by the Chu siblings and their recent visit to their elderly parents in Yong Peng.
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