Brutal impact: The tourist bus suffered significant damage in the accident. — Photo courtesy of the Fire and Rescue Department
NIBONG TEBAL: Seventeen out of 24 passengers, mostly elderly, were injured when the tour bus they were travelling in crashed into the back of a container trailer along the North-South Expressway near Sungai Bakap.
The trailer, along with other heavy vehicles in front of it at KM157.8 heading north, had slowed down due to a traffic jam caused by another accident, in which a lorry driver lost his life.
Following the incident, the privately-chartered bus, heading to Sungai Petani from Seremban, hit the rear of the trailer in the 3.50am accident yesterday.
Hafizah Rusli, 37, whose 64-year-old mother was among the passengers, said the group from a surau in Bandar Seremban Selatan was on their way to the Murtadha Dakwah Centre in Sungai Petani.
“My mother sustained bruises to her face and legs from the impact of the collision, but there were others who suffered more severe injuries,” she said.
She added that most of the participants are aged above 60 with the oldest at 78.
Initial reports from the Fire and Rescue Department indicated there were 26 victims, including the bus driver and co-driver.
It said two passengers were in critical condition.
South Seberang Perai district OCPD Supt Chong Boo Khim said the bus driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle during the accident.
“A total of 17 passengers were treated at Hospital Seberang Jaya for injuries,” he said.
Meanwhile in Kuching, Sarawak, a multi-vehicle crash at Jalan Stutong Baru left four people dead and five others injured.
The state Fire and Rescue Department received a distress call at 12.59pm yesterday with reports of trapped victims at the scene.
Personnel from the Tabuan Jaya and Batu Lintang fire stations arrived at the scene at 1.07pm.
A department spokesman said the accident involved three cars and two motorcycles.
