Thai holidaymakers die after bus hit divider and overturned
IPOH: Twenty-seven people were killed when their bus hit a divider and overturned on its way down from Cameron Highlands in what is possibly the worst road accident in Malaysian history.
The tragedy at KM15 of the Cameron Highland-Simpang Pulai road claimed the lives of 25 Thai nationals who had been on a holiday in the hill resort.
Perak deputy police chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Zakaria Yusof said the other two casualties were driver Omar Shahidan, 48, and tour guide Soontorn Kian, 38. Both were Malaysians.
“There were a total of 37 people onboard at the time, 34 were Thai holidaymakers from Bangkok and three others Malaysians,” he said.
The double-decker bus was heading from Cameron Highlands towards Kuala Lumpur at 11.40am yesterday.
“The driver was trying to negotiate a sharp bend but failed, causing the bus to hit a divider before overturning.
“The bus landed on its roof in a ditch about 51m away from the divider,” SAC Zakaria said.
He said the impact of the crash was so severe that bodies were flung several metres away from the wreckage while others were trapped deep in the mangled vehicle.
Twenty-two of the victims were killed on the spot. Five others died after being rushed to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here.
SAC Zakaria said the cause of the accident could have been due to speeding or technical failure of the brakes.
It took about 100 personnel from the police, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Department and Public Works Department over three hours to retrieve the bodies.
The wreckage was finally towed downhill at about 4pm, causing massive jams on both sides of the road as far as 5km away.
It is learnt that of the 10 survivors, one was discharged after being treated for minor injuries; three were undergoing surgery and the rest warded as at 7pm.
SAC Zakaria said the bus was heading to Kuala Lumpur where the Thais were believed to have been scheduled to fly back to Bangkok.
The Cameron Highland-Simpang Pulai Road, which has many curves and gradients, was opened to traffic in 2003.
It is an alternative road to the highlands besides the Tapah route.
Polis janji siasat nahas secara terperinci
KUALA LUMPUR 20 Dis. - Polis Diraja Malaysia akan menjalankan siasatan secara terperinci berhubung kemalangan membabitkan sebuah bas membawa pelancong Thailand yang berlaku di Kilometer 15, Jalan Cameron Highlands-Simpang Pulai hari ini sehingga meragut 27 nyawa.
Ketua Trafik Pasukan Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman, Datuk Abdul Aziz Yusof berkata, pihaknya akan menyiasat punca kemalangan tersebut daripada pelbagai sudut, termasuk melihat bagaimana ia berlaku sehingga menyebabkan ramai mangsa terbunuh.
"Kita bukan sahaja melihat kepada faktor teknikal tetapi akan mengkaji dari semua aspek berhubung punca kemalangan tersebut berlaku," katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia hari ini.
Sementara itu, Kementerian Pelancongan akan memulakan siasatan terhadap syarikat SK Murni Tours & Travel Sdn. Bhd, iaitu syarikat yang didaftarkan sebagai pemilik bas persiaran dua tingkat yang terlibat dalam kemalangan tersebut.
Menurut Unit Komunikasi Korporat kementerian, siasatan terperinci akan dijalankan di bawah Akta Pelesenan Kenderaan Pelancongan 1999.
"Tindakan menggantung atau membatalkan lesen bas persiaran akan ditentukan selepas mengambil kira hasil siasatan yang dijalankan oleh semua agensi kerajaan yang terlibat.
"Kementerian juga telah mengeluarkan surat tunjuk sebab kepada syarikat itu bagi mendapatkan penjelasan tentang kejadian berkenaan," menurut kenyataan
Three Malaysians and 24 Thais were killed in the country’s worst road accident when an express bus they were travelling in overturned and crashed into a rocky slope along the Simpang Pulai-Kampung Raja road, about 15km from here yesterday.
The double-decker bus had 37 people on board when it was heading down from Cameron Highlands.
At 11.40am, it breached a concrete divider, rolled over a few times and crashed roofside into a rocky slope before coming to a halt on its side in a monsoon drain at the foot of the slope.
The bodies of some of the dead victims were strewn on the road, with some of their body parts mutilated due to the impact.
The roof of the double-decker bus was partially torn from its body with the upper deck’s floor pressing down on passengers seated on in the lower deck.
A rescue team comprising about 100 personnel from various agencies took about three hours to retrieve the deceased dead and the those seriously injured.
Acting Perak police chief Datuk Zakaria Yusuf said 22 out of the 27 victims died on the spot while the rest succumbed to their injuries either on the way to or after being admitted to Ipoh Hospital.
The condition of the remaining 10 victims was being monitored closely due to the seriousness of their injuries they had sustained during the impact.
“At this point in time, we cannot ascertain the cause of the accident but police suspect that it could have been caused by a technical problem or speeding,”. “However, what can be said for certain is that the impact was great to have caused so many fatalities,” he said at the site of the accident.
Zakaria said the first team of firemen and policemen reached the scene around noon, about 20 minutes after the accident.
He said police were still trying to ascertain the identities of the victimsdeceased and the injured.
“The three Malaysians who died on the spot were the bus driver of the bus, the assistant bus driver and a tour guide.
“They wereAll of them are employees of San Express Holiday Sdn Bhd based in Jitra, Kedah. It alsowhich is the ownser of the double-decker express bus based in Jitra, Kedah.”
The road was closed to traffic on both sides until 4pm, after which vehicles coming down from Cameron Highlands were allowed to pass.
At press time, the road leading up to Cameron Highlands was still closed to traffic to facilitate forensic investigation into the accident and to allow ow the bus to be towed hereback to Ipoh.
The site of yesterday’s accident is about 500m from the spot where an Kurnia Bestari express bus had plunged into a ravine on Dec 23, 2004 while proceeding downhill on the same road, killing five passengers and seriously injuring 17 others.
MEN
1. Omar Shahidan, 48 (Malaysian driver)
2. Charcart Knagsuwan, 48
3. Pooporn Poolsaeng, 41
4. Sumruay Swatphet, 48
5. Pongtiawest Akararachewwanont, 45
6. Thitisak Pongtanarat, 51
7. Ekachai Na Banexane, 64
8. Phayone Kruajinli , 49
9. Weera Chuntranwaggn (no age)
10. Soontorn Kian a/l Kian, 38 (Thai Malaysian, tourist guide)
WOMEN
11. Thanyarat Poolsang, 36
12. Nutthiya Inyim, 50
13, Puthinaree Akkrarachewannot, 42
14. Suchanchira Chaigueai, 40
15. Sriwai Swatphet, 42
16. Priya Prassakul Chai, 48
17. Chutima Throukool, 25
18. Junpen Pongthanarat, 50
19. Matana Phromduang, 51
20. Ampaiwan Thiangtham, 50
21. Maliwani Mekmahhprom, 53
22. Achara Wiwati, 36
23. Isarya Thiangtham, 25
24. Areena Somgserm (no age)
25. Natkritta Poolsaeng, 6
26. Rund Da (no age)
27. Darunee Songsern (no age).
Four men (two critical) and six women were
admitted to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Perak.
Read more: 27 die in bus crash horror http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/27dieinbuscrashhorror/Article/#ixzz18hTOdGAR
Maut sebelum sempat naik pesawat
Oleh AHMAD SYAKIR SAZILI
syakir.sazili@kosmo.com.my
PASUKAN penyelamat bertungkus-lumus mengeluarkan mangsa yang terlibat dalam kemalangan di Kilometer 15, Jalan Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands semalam.
IPOH – Kegembiraan sekumpulan 35 pelancong dari Hatyai, Thailand bercuti di pusat peranginan Cameron Highlands, Pahang bertukar tragedi apabila 25 daripada mereka terbunuh selepas bas yang dinaiki terbabit dalam kemalangan di Kilometer 15, Jalan Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands di sini semalam.
Kemalangan membabitkan bas persiaran dua tingkat milik San Express Holiday pada pukul 11.40 pagi itu turut mengorbankan dua warga tempatan iaitu pemandu, Omar Shahidan, 48, dan pemandu pelancong berketurunan Siam Malaysia, Soontorn a/l Kian, 38.
Tragedi itu berlaku dalam jarak kira-kira 15 kilometer dari Simpang Pulai.
Polis tidak menolak kemungkinan tragedi berkenaan berpunca daripada masalah brek dan tayar tetapi siasatan lanjut mengenai nahas akan dilakukan oleh Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) dan Institut Penyelidikan Keselamatan Jalan Raya Malaysia (Miros).
Timbalan Ketua Polis Perak, Datuk Zakaria Yusof berkata, 22 mangsa maut di tempat kejadian manakala lima lagi mati semasa dalam perjalanan ke Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB) di sini.
Ikuti berita selanjutnya di KOSMO! hari ini.
Ngeri lihat anggota badan putus
Oleh AHMAD SYAKIR SAZILI
syakir.sazili@kosmo.com.my
Mangsa-mangsa yang cedera dalam kemalangan di Kilometer 15, Jalan Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands semalam.
IPOH – Mendengar jeritan dan melihat anggota badan pelancong yang terputus merupakan antara pengalaman yang tidak dapat dilupakan oleh seorang saksi kejadian yang berada di lokasi kemalangan membabitkan sebuah bas ekspres di Kilometer 15, Jalan Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands semalam.
Pelajar tingkatan lima Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tasek Damai, Ipoh, Mohd. Shafwan Mohd. Nan, 17, berkata, ketika kejadian, dia dalam perjalanan ke pusat peranginan itu dengan menaiki sebuah bas henti-henti Ipoh-Cameron Highlands.
Katanya, ketika di atas bas, dia terkejut apabila melihat ada beberapa mangsa termasuk seorang kanak-kanak terpelanting di tepi jalan dalam keadaan berlumuran darah dan ada yang telah mati.
“Walaupun cemas dan takut dengan keadaan itu, saya memberanikan diri untuk turun. Bas dua tingkat tersebut remuk dan apa yang memilukan, saya terdengar mangsa-mangsa yang terselamat menjerit dan merintih kesakitan minta diselamatkan.
“Beberapa minit kemudian, pasukan penyelamat tiba untuk mengeluarkan mayat yang tersepit dan ketika itulah saya ternampak ada anggota badan mayat yang terputus,” ceritanya lagi ketika ditemui di lokasi kejadian semalam.
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