KyO's NeWs - 7 ACciDenTs In 3 HouRs

~ BorNeO BuLLeTiN ~

~ 21/02/2011 ~

Two cars lie in a ditch following the collision along Jln Jangsak.
Cars wading through flashfloods triggered by the heavy rain.

The road along Jangsak saw long lines of vehicles as a result of the short-lived flashfloods that submerged some parts of the road.

Wet weather conditions continue to prevail in the country causing flashfloods and landslides.

The downpour last evening not only triggered flashfloods in many areas but also accidents across the capital. Seven accidents were recorded by the Royal Brunei Police Force between 6pm and 9pm in Jerudong, Lambak and Jangsak due to the heavy rain.

Two vehicles landed in a ditch in an accident along Jalan Jangsak around 8.30pm. The accident involving saloon cars, however, left both drivers and passengers of the cars unscathed.

According to the driver of one of the cars, he lost control of his car while turning at a sharp bend along Jln Jangsak, and as a result skidded and hit a car close by, with both cars landing in the ditch.

According to an eyewitness, Hj Wahyudin, visibility was really poor and puddles of rainwater made driving dangerous.

As the accident rate in Brunei is one of the highest in the region, efforts to bring awareness to stem the numbers are under way. But rain or shine, there are some motorists who refuse to take their legs off the accelerator resulting in accidents, which sometimes proves fatal too.

Rainy weather conditions have been predicted to continue over the next few days, according to the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department web site.

A graph that has been posted on the site indicates that the mean rainfall throughout the Sultanate for today will be 40 millimetres, which will gradually reduce to 20 millimetres a day until the 23rd of this month and to less than 10 millimetres between February 24 and March 3.

Last night's lashing caused major flooding along busy roads that led to heavy traffic.

The stretch along Jangsak road was heavily congested late last evening when the heavy rain started pouring at around 6.30pm that subsequently brought about a short-lived flashflood. When the Bulletin visited the area, it was noticed that some of the drains were overwhelmed by the torrent of water.

Police personnel were seen at various areas along the road to ease the traffic.

However, when contacted by the Bulletin, several government departments including the National Disaster Management Centre as well as the Fire and Rescue Department said they have not received any distress call as of 9pm.

The police has once again reminded motorists to drive slowly, especially during wet weather conditions, and always follow road rules and regulations for their own safety and that of fellow motorists.