SUNGAI PETANI: The man who died after being crushed by an excavator on a hillside at Jalan Semeling, Taman Tasek Semeling, Bedong here, has been identified.
The victim was S. Arumugam, 39, a resident of Taman Lembah Merbok.
Kuala Muda District police chief, Assistant Commissioner Wan Azharuddin Wan Ismail, said that they received a report from a MERS 999 call at 4:15pm, informing them of the incident where an excavator had overturned and crushed the victim at the location.
He said the investigation revealed that the incident occurred on privately-owned oil palm plantation land.
"The incident happened while the victim was clearing the forest. The soft soil in the area caused the excavator to overturn.
"The victim reportedly tried to jump out of the machine but was unsuccessful, resulting in the excavator's roof crushing his back.
"He was pronounced dead by a medical assistant from Bedong Health Clinic at 3:45pm," he said in a statement today.
Wan Azharuddin added that the investigation found no criminal elements. The victim's body was taken to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) Forensic Department in Alor Setar for an autopsy.
He said that the case is classified as sudden death.
Previously, media reported that a man died after the machine he was operating overturned while working on road construction on the hillside at Jalan Semeling, Taman Tasek Semeling, Bedong.
In the incident, around 4:00pm, the 39-year-old man was believed to have been crushed by the excavator and died at the scene.