19 June 2013
KOTA KINABALU: A family of four from Hong Kong was injured after their rental car was rammed by a Sabah Railway train at a crossroad near Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 1 today.
In the 5.30pm incident, the family travelling in a Hyundai Accent car was heading towards the airport from Jalan Lintas when they failed to stop at the crossing.
The train carrying 200 passengers heading towards Beaufort, hit the car causing it to spin several times before hitting a Perodua Myvi carrying three passengers, including a toddler.
The two women and two men were sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
It is learnt that the car driver identified as Lok Wing Tak Eddie, 50, is seriously injured.
Also injured were the three people and the toddler the Perodua Myvi.
Deputy Chief Minister and Infrastructure Development Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan who was at the scene said the train carrying 200 passengers was travelling towards Beaufort.
"I was informed that one gate was not functioning and a worker from the Sabah State Railway Department had signalled all the vehicles to stop.
"According to the worker and the train driver, all the car drivers had stopped their car except for one prompting the train driver to pull the emergency break," he said.
Pairin said the gate had not been functioning for six months and that the railway department was waiting for spare parts to repair the machine.
He suggested the department to use temporary measures including a warning signboard to avoid similar incident in future.
"This accident occured unexpectedly and we do not want this to happen. I advise road users to be careful and pay attention to the warning signal."
Meanwhile, city police chief Assistant Commissioner Police Jauteh Dikun confirmed that the four passengers were tourists and were heading to the airport to catch a flight.
This is the second incident involving a train in less than two years.
On Oct 31, 2011, a Sabah Railway train collided with an oil tanker at Jalan Kota Kinabalu-Petagas, injuring 12 passengers including a pregnant woman.
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