BALING: A nine-year-old girl was killed after being run over by a family car in an unfortunate incident in Kampung Keledang Luar in Tawar sub-district here.

       Baling police chief Supt Shamsudin Mamat said in the 2.15pm incident on Saturday (April 23), the girl was said to be playing outside the house with her seven-year-old brother and had entered the car which was parked in front of the house.

       "According to witnesses, the girl was seen playing in the driver's seat and was believed to have lowered the handbrake, causing the car to move backwards.

       "The panicked girl got out of the car and ran towards the back and tried to stop it from moving but could not and was trapped," he said in a statement here Sunday (April 24).

       According to him, the mishap came to the attention of her 29-year-old uncle who was preparing to leave the house for work. He is an ambulance driver of a private company.

       "Her uncle who heard his nephew's screams rushed out and found her under the car before pushing it forward and retrieved the girl but she was unconscious," he said.

       Supt Shamsudin said the girl's uncle then rushed her to Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, Sungai Petani, but she was reported to have died on the way to the hospital.

       He said the girl, who was a Year Three pupil at SK Tawar, Kuala Ketil lived with her family but during the incident, her father and grandmother were not at home.

       He said she and her other siblings, aged seven to 15, were being taken care of by their uncle.

       He said the girl's body was sent to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Alor Setar for post-mortem and that the case was classified as sudden death.

       It is being investigated under Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001.

       She is believed to have suffered internal bleeding and a fractured skull.

       "I would like to advise the public, especially caregivers, to always be concerned and protect the safety of children to avoid unwanted incidents," Supt Shamsudin said. - Bernama