A family holiday turned into a nightmare after Chinese tourists, a father and daughter, lost their lives when a massive tree crashed into their SUV at the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, Lebuh Gereja early today (19 Sept).
The victims, identified as 69-year-old Liu Zu and his daughter 36-year-old Liu Xinxin, were crushed when the tree toppled over during a storm, trapping them inside the vehicle. The tragic accident took place at around 1:27 PM.
At the time of the incident, Liu and his daughter were seated in a Perodua Aruz SUV, with Liu Zu in the back seat and Liu Xinxin in the front passenger seat.
They were accompanied by their local friend and driver, Xia Gui Ling (transliteration) who was in the driver’s seat. Xia managed to escape with minor injuries to her leg and head.
Recalling the terrifying moment, Xia told China Press that she had just stopped the car to let two other vehicles enter the parking lot when the tree suddenly fell.
“The crash was deafening. I immediately honked for help, and people from the museum rushed out to assist,” she said.
Unfortunately, the rescue came too late for Liu and his daughter. Despite Xia’s efforts to call for help, the tree had caused significant damage to the vehicle’s passenger side and back seat.
Xia shared that rescue personnel worked quickly to free her, but they were unable to save her friends.
“I was pulled out, but the father and daughter were trapped. The daughter was still breathing when I held her hand, but by the time she was rescued, she had no response,” said Xia.
The Northeast District Fire and Rescue Department told Harian Metro that they received the report at 2:19 PM and arrived at the scene within minutes.
Forty rescue personnel were deployed, but despite their best efforts, the father and daughter died at the scene. A post-mortem revealed that both victims died of suffocation after being crushed by the fallen tree.
Assistant Commissioner Razlam Ab Hamid, the Northeast District Police Chief, confirmed that the victims had arrived in Malaysia on September 14 for a holiday.
They had checked into their hotel earlier in the week and were scheduled to return to China on the day of the accident.
“We have already contacted their next of kin, and they are aware of the situation. The family will come to claim the bodies as soon as possible,” Razlam said.
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