PETALING JAYA: The bus in which a teenager died after being electrocuted has been impounded while a special task force will investigate the incident.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said he has instructed the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) to seize the interstate express bus.
“The ministry views this incident very seriously. I have ordered Apad to impound the bus in question with immediate effect so that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) can carry out further investigations,” he said.
He added that a special task force, consisting of personnel from Apad, JPJ and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, will also be set up to investigate the electrocution of the teenager, who was charging his cellphone on the bus.
Loke said the task force will investigate the cause of the incident to ensure passenger safety and prevent future occurrences.
He also expressed his condolences to the family of the 18-year-old victim.
According to the police, the teenager was found unresponsive in his seat on the express bus at Penang Sentral at around 6pm on Saturday.
Witnesses recounted hearing the victim scream before he began to froth at the mouth.
North Seberang Perai OCPD Asst Comm Anuar Abdul Rahman said the police received a call about the individual who was found unconscious at 7.40pm.
“Initial investigations revealed burn marks on the victim’s left fingers, suspected to be from an electric shock while he was charging his phone,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
ACP Anuar said this conclusion was drawn from the melted end of the charging cable and the overheated phone.
After interviewing a witness, it was determined that the victim had boarded the express bus to KL Sentral.
The witness called for an ambulance upon realising the situation.
“The ambulance arrived at about 6.20pm, and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene,” he added.
A post-mortem conducted at Hospital Seberang Jaya revealed no other injuries and found no evidence of foul play.
