JOHOR BARU, Jan 24 — A mother and her teenage daughter were found dead in a BMW parked by the road shoulder near a primary school in Bandar Baru Uda here last night.
Johor Baru North police chief Assistant Commissioner Balveer Singh Mahindar Singh said the deceased, aged 42 and 14, were discovered by members of the public at 9pm.
He said police received a report about the discovery at 10pm.
“The bodies of the two victims were sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) here for post-mortem.
“Investigators believe there is no criminal element involved in the deaths as initial findings suggest accidental exhaust fume inhalation, with the car engine still running.
“However, the post-mortem results on the two victims are still pending laboratory investigation,” Balveer Singh told reporters at the Johor Baru North district police headquarters today.
He was responding to queries about the deaths following the discovery of the bodies in a BMW last night.
Balveer Singh said preliminary investigations indicate the incident may have been caused by a petrol leak in the car’s engine, which led to fume condensation entering the air conditioning duct.
“The information is based on preliminary investigations, including the victim’s last conversation on her WhatsApp group.
“In her conversation with friends, the victim mentioned she had just finished shopping in the Bandar Baru Uda area.
“However, she also wrote that she was not feeling well and had stopped the car by the road shoulder,” he said.
Balveer Singh said the mother had three children and the deceased teenager was her youngest.
“The family lives in Bakar Batu near here,” he added.
Police have withheld the victims’ names and requested time to complete their investigations, including reviewing the victims’ health records.
