4 students die, 5 injured after MPV turns turtle in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Four female students were killed and five male students injured, after their multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) skidded and turned turtle along Jalan Kanibongan-Pitas, 131km from here early today.

All were students of SMK Pitas 2.

Kota Marudu police chief Supt Mohd Izaan Abdullah said those killed in the 6.30am incident were identified as Sweeta Kongkoyan, 18; Dayang Manisah Exon, 18; Evi Elsie Jukirim, 18; and Rebecca Stacey Saimon, 16.

Sweeta died on the way to hospital, while Dayang Manisah, Evi and Rebecca died at the scene of the accident due to severe injuries.

Izaan said the five injured male students were identified as Mikhievinlee Lotijin, 18; Aewinkafo Lawrence, 18; Fairus Ejoy Marayau, 18; Jaklin Johglin, 18; and Elden Elio, 18.

According to Izaan, Mikhievinlee, who had serious head injuries, was sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu for treatment, while the other four suffered minor injuries.

He said police believed the accident occurred after the driver lost control of the car.

At 5.30am today, eight factory workers were killed and 44 others injured in an accident involving two factory buses and a factory van at Km147 of the North-South Expressway near the Juru toll plaza in Bukit Mertajam.

All the victims, who were women, were on their way to their workplace when the accident occurred. -FMT