At around 3.30 am on 17 Dec 2013, the small lorry with a driver and passenger broke through the downstream railing of the old Dambai Bridge and plunged down into the muddy flood water of the Moyog River.
The dept of the river at that time is about half of the river and the flow was quite strong that in the morning the lorry was found about 300 m downstream of the bridge.
According to the Bomba Search and Rescue Unit who set up and operation tent near the project site of the new bridge, they received the distress call at 3.41 am. The name of the driver was Maxmellian Lim Chong Au , aged 26 and he was found by the villagers clinging at the left bank of the river. He refused to be sent to the hospital while his passenger, Hafiz aged 20 was suspected still trapped in the lorry registration no. SAA 7216 U.
However, when by 9 am when the scuba unit of the BSSU arrived, they found no body in the lorry and so the poor passenger is now suspected to be washed downstream. Hilang is the term used by Bomba.
The local villager also quoted the driver as saying that when he was driving on the bridge, he saw what appeared to be a big hole and so turned around to go back but instead crashed through the downstream railing of the bridge as the photo here shows.
Part joke and part belief of those bystanders near the scene, even including police officers says that the new project which included deep excavation and breaking down of very large boulders, did not observe the local adat which should have sacrificed some livestocks in order to appease the spirits that occupy and own those big boulders.
When modern construction and infrastructures were introduced in this country, the local natives beliefs or Adat is that the structures will be stronger if farm animals are offerred to the spirits who will be disturbed by the horrible sounds jackhammers attached to the arms of big excavators breaking and removing large boulders.
Also no accident ever happened near this old bridge since it was completed like 40 years ago, but now since the new project started, it has been raining on site every evening without any break. Then this accident occurred.
Scene of accident showing broken railings and at background, the completed work after the rock breaking
Two scuba divers from Bomba search and rescue preparing to dive into the lorry which is submerged until the roof.
Video for 12 Dec 2013
This videos I took myself and found in my own youtube channels showing part of bridge construction methodsVideo of Accident on 17 Dec 2013 which I have taken myself showing BOMBA rescue divers checking if a victim is still trapped in the lorry
