SANDAKAN: A 74-year-old Chinese tourist died after being struck on the head by a falling tree branch at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) on Tuesday afternoon.
The tragic incident occurred around 2.45 pm as the victim and his family were leaving the popular eco-tourism site.
The victim was rushed to Duchess of Kent Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4.28 pm.
Sandakan District Police Chief ACP Abdul Fuad Abdul Malek confirmed the case is classified as a sudden death report (SDR), with a post-mortem scheduled for Thursday.
Following the accident, the Sabah Forestry Department temporarily closed the RDC for two days to conduct safety inspections.
Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Frederick Kugan expressed condolences to the family and noted that an alternative program would be arranged for affected tourist bookings.
