MERSING, Aug 9 — A senior citizen who was reported missing, was found dead after it is believed his vehicle skidded off a slippery road and plunged into a ravine at Kilometre 25, Jalan Kota Tinggi-Mersing here, this morning.

Mersing District Police Chief Supt Cyril Edward Nuing said police received information from the public about a blue Perodua Myvi car at the location, at about 9.10am.

He said the victim, Zahari Zakaria, 62, was believed to be on his way from Kemaman, Terengganu to Pasir Gudang, Johor, and that he could not be contacted for over 24 hours causing the victim’s son to file a police report.

"In the Aug 7 incident (Sunday), the victim who was driving the blue Perodua Myvi is believed to have skidded at a bend in the road.

"His car was in an overturned position and he was pronounced dead at the scene by medics,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

He said the victim’s body was taken to Mersing Hospital for a post-mortem.

He said the case was being investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

"We advise road drivers to be more careful when driving, especially when passing through dark roads, in rainy weather and when turning corners so that accidents can be avoided,” he said.

Earlier, Ahmad Zani, who is the victim’s son, had uploaded information about his missing father on his Facebook and got more than 2,000 shares.

Meanwhile, when contacted by Bernama, Ahmad Zubir, 37, another son of Zahari, said the family were in shock and saddened that his father had died but were relieved that he has been found.

He said the family accepted his death as fated and deemed it as a test for them.

"On Sunday, my father left Kemaman for Pasir Gudang at about 10pm and should have reached by 3am. Attempts by my mother and elder brother to contact him failed so we mounted a search for him along the route but to no avail.

"We lodged a police report and called up hospitals but none had information on him. Later I came to know the search team found his car in a ravine in Mersing,” he said.

Ahmad Zubir, who has six siblings, four of them girls, described Zahari as a loving father and grandfather and that his death would have a lasting impact on the family.

He added that the burial of his father, whose body is now at Hospital Mersing for post-mortem, was expected to be done tonight at the Muslim Cemetery, Jalan Jabor Kubur, Kampung Gong Limau, Chukai, Terengganu. — Bernama