KOTA KINABALU: Three foreign workers – an Indonesian man and two Filipino women – were killed in a freak accident when the farm tractor they were in plunged into a ravine at a Beluran plantation area on Friday.

The incident occurred around 6am on Friday (June 28) when the three including four other victims who were all plantation workers, were on their way to work in the vehicle when the driver lost control of the machine while passing a steep road along Jalan Sapi Nangoh there.

The 28-year-old Indonesian and the women aged 28 and 42 respectively were killed on the spot, while the tractor operator – a 29-year-old Indonesian man – and three other women victims who are Filipinos aged between 22 to 45 years old, sustained severe injuries.

Beluran OCPD Superintendent Hasan Majid in confirming the case, said investigations are being carried out under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Keningau, the Fire and Rescue Department was alerted of an accident involving six victims in a car and a three-tonne lorry crash at 7.23pm along Batu 11, Jalan Keningau Sook.

“There were five victims in the car who were all sent to the hospital by ambulance before the firemen arrived, while the injured lorry driver was treated by the emergency responders at the site.

“He was then sent to the hospital using the emergency responders’ vehicle for further treatment.

No further information on the victims was obtained.

“The operation ended at 8.11pm,” said the Department spokesman.