KUALA LUMPUR – A 72-year-old Swedish woman has been identified as the second person injured when a large tree came crashing onto 17 vehicles along Jalan Sultan Ismail in downtown Kuala Lumpur today.
Dang Wangi deputy police chief Nazron Abd Yusof said the Swedish woman was an e-hailing passenger while the 26-year-old who had also suffered injuries was the e-hailing driver.
Earlier reports had said a 47-year-old man died in the incident while a 26-year-old was treated by Health Ministry paramedics after suffering injuries.
The 47-year-old man, pulled out of the wreckage, was pronounced dead by officials from the ministry.
“The 26-year-old was the e-hailing driver and the Swedish woman is the passenger,” said Nazron when met at the location, here today.
Nazron said both the injured were taken to Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) for treatment while the body of the man who died in the incident was sent to HKL’s forensic medicine department for post-mortem.
He added that police were also trying to locate the deceased’s next-of-kin.
Nazron said clearance work was being carried out by the Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and police.
“The roads that were closed after the incident will be reopened once the cleaning is completed. Motorists and members of the public are advised to use alternative routes to reach their destinations,” he said.
A 47-year-old was confirmed dead while a 26-year-old man suffered serious injuries when a huge tree came crashing down on 17 vehicles along Jalan Sultan Ismail, just outside the Concorde Hotel, during a thunderstorm and heavy rain, at about 2.19pm here today.
Apart from damaging vehicles passing by the busy segment of downtown Kuala Lumpur, the fallen tree also damaged a bus stop and temporarily disrupted the monorail service as debris and branches of the fallen tree had damaged the rail track. – May 7, 2024