Kuala Krai: Two men were killed in separate accidents involving heavy machinery here this evening, said Kuala Krai district police chief Supt Mazlan Mamat. Mazlan reported that the first incident occurred at about 2.50 pm, involving a Thai national, aged 49, who was killed after the backhoe he was driving fell off a cliff in the Ladang Dabong area, near Kilometre 27 of Jalan Sungai Sam-Dabong.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the victim was operating the backhoe to take a break and was traversing a hilly area when the vehicle skidded and fell off the cliff. This led to the victim being thrown out and subsequently crushed by the vehicle, resulting in immediate death at the scene. The accident is believed to have been caused by the driver’s negligence, as he failed to maintain control of the backhoe.

In a separate incident at around 3.30 pm, a 59-year-old man was killed in Ladang Bonanza, Laloh after the bulldozer he was operating fell into a ravine. Initial investigations suggest that the victim was engaged in terrace work on the plantation when the bulldozer slipped off its path and descended into a ravine approximately 100 metres deep. The victim, who became trapped in the machine, was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident is suspected to have occurred after the victim lost control of the bulldozer.

The bodies of both victims were transported to the Sultan Ismail Petra Hospital’s forensics unit for post-mortems. The cases are being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987. Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding the accidents to come forward and contact the Traffic Police Station at the Kuala Krai district police headquarters (IPD) or reach out to the Investigating Officer, Insp Mohamad Amirul Izham Azlan at 09-9666222.