Thursday May 19, 2005

44th victim of deadly stretch

THE horrifying mishap that robbed the life of SR Agama Rantau Panjang Year One pupil Nur Salina Saparedi on Monday was the 44th death on the North Klang Valley Expressway since 2001, reported Berita Harian.

According to statistics compiled by the Klang district traffic police, a total of 2,093 accidents had been reported on this deadly stretch in the last four years, including 44 fatal accidents that had also critically injured 253.

The latest fatal accident occurred when seven-year-old Nur Salina died after a trailer hit her as she was crossing the road with a group of pupils.

From the beginning of the year until Monday, four fatalities had been reported, including Nur Salina, from a total of 218 accidents, with eight causing major injuries and 22 minor ones.

The highest death total in a single year on the stretch, known as the Shapadu Highway, was in 2003 with 12 fatalities resulting from 444 accidents, which also resulted in 10 critical and 73 minor injuries.

Meanwhile, Shapadu Corporation Sdn Bhd founder and executive chairman Datuk Shahrani Abdullah said accidents on the highway could be avoided if both drivers and pedestrians obeyed road regulations.

In the case of Nur Salina, he said, the lorry driver involved should not have passed through the highway as heavy vehicles were not permitted to use the stretch since the opening of the New North Klang Valley Expressway.

“When the new highway was opened, we forbade heavy vehicles from using the old road because it was narrow and was not suitable for heavy vehicles,” he said.

Berita Harian also reported that Malaysians were asked not to stop contributions to the tsunami victims in Banda Aceh, where aid had helped to relieve the burden of many survivors still living in transit camps.

Malaysian consul-general in Medan Mohd Yusof Abu Bakar said present basic supplies such as food, clothing, medicine and equipment, which poured in when the tsunami hit southern Asian coastlines on Dec 26, were insufficient as they needed long-term attention to restore life there.

Among the support needed were the care of orphans, education, medical supplies, construction of homes, counselling and sources of livelihood.

“Those who intend to give aid can contact the Malaysian Consul Office in Medan,” he said.

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