Penang: An elderly couple and their granddaughter were injured after the Perodua Ativa they were travelling in was hit by a fallen tree in an incident at Jalan Macalister here today. Assistant Director of the Operations and Firefighting Division of the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) in Penang, John Sagun Francis, said his department received an emergency call at 9:12 am and following that, a team of eight members from the Jalan Perak Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) immediately went to the location.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the three victims who were trapped in the car were successfully removed by members of the public who were in the area before the arrival of the fire department. As of 12 noon, fire department personnel together with local authorities were still actively carrying out operations to cut down and clear the remains of fallen trees at the location of the incident to ensure public safety and smooth traffic.

Meanwhile, Tanjong MP Lim Hui Ying, who is also the Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, said in a Facebook post that based on information so far, the incident hit a vehicle passing through the area and three people who were reported injured were sent to hospital for treatment. Lim said her team was also on its way to the scene of the incident to obtain further information from the relevant parties and provide the necessary assistance.

The incident also caused severe traffic congestion in the area, with the road also closed to allow clean-up work.