There were inadequate barriers along a road where a car crashed during a drag race on Saturday, during the 'One Million Youths Gathering 2012' in Putrajaya, according to two eyewitnesses.
Mohd Aidil Azman, 19, who was at the scene with his friends, said only a row of plants separated the crowd from the road.
When the driver lost control in the midnight incident, the car swerved to the side and crashed into the crowd. Several people were injured including Mohd Aidil, who has internal bleeding in his right leg.
“There were just plants, only as high as waist level. There were no (barriers),” he told reporters this morning at the Putrajaya Hospital where he had gone for a check-up.
He said he could not remember the exact moment of the impact as it had happened very quickly, but estimated that he landed about two metres away.
Contacted later, another eyewitness, technician Mohd Nor Faiz Sakariah, said the plants seemed to be shrubbery planted in the ground, rather than in pots.
Mohd Aidil Azman, 19, who was at the scene with his friends, said only a row of plants separated the crowd from the road.When the driver lost control in the midnight incident, the car swerved to the side and crashed into the crowd. Several people were injured including Mohd Aidil, who has internal bleeding in his right leg.
“There were just plants, only as high as waist level. There were no (barriers),” he told reporters this morning at the Putrajaya Hospital where he had gone for a check-up.
He said he could not remember the exact moment of the impact as it had happened very quickly, but estimated that he landed about two metres away.
Contacted later, another eyewitness, technician Mohd Nor Faiz Sakariah, said the plants seemed to be shrubbery planted in the ground, rather than in pots.
However, there were metal barriers on the other side of the road.
He was not seriously injured, sustaining slight damage to his arms and legs, but said he lost his camera when he “passed out for a moment”.
Also at the hospital this morning were PKR vice-presidents Nurul Izzah Anwar and N Surendran, who visited two patients who are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) - Muhammad Iskandar Rasiq Shaari and Muhamad Fairuz Jalaludin.
Media photographers were allowed in briefly to take photographs.
‘Criminal negligence’
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Surendran described their condition as “critical”, saying that even the doctor he spoke to had declined to predict if they would recover fully.
Muhammad Iskandar, 20, has been found to have bleeding in his head, liver and spleen.
Ami Nakim, 27, who suffered fractures in his left hand and legs, underwent surgery this morning.
Surendran said Muhammad’s spleen is so damaged that, even if he recovers, he will have to take penicillin for the remainder of his life.
“We were shocked when we saw the injuries of the two patients,” he said.
He said the organisers had been “criminally negligent” for not having placed barriers between the crowd and the road.
“We spoke to many victims. The only barriers were some plants and on the other side (of the road), there were metal barriers. This is clearly wrong. Legally it was a complete breach of the law,” he said.
He stressed that the victims were not in the wrong, as it was the organisers’ duty to erect boundaries and keep the crowd away from the side of the road.
“There is also civil liability arising from this. The organisers were wrong from both a civil and criminal point of view,” he said, adding that PKR is willing to offer legal aid to anyone who needs it.
Nurul Izzah called for a “full investigation” into the incident, and for the organisers to be probed as well.
“We cannot compromise on safety standards for these events. We don’t want a repeat of this accident ... The organisers must take responsibility and respond as soon as possible,” she added.
He was not seriously injured, sustaining slight damage to his arms and legs, but said he lost his camera when he “passed out for a moment”.
Also at the hospital this morning were PKR vice-presidents Nurul Izzah Anwar and N Surendran, who visited two patients who are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) - Muhammad Iskandar Rasiq Shaari and Muhamad Fairuz Jalaludin.
Media photographers were allowed in briefly to take photographs.
‘Criminal negligence’
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Surendran described their condition as “critical”, saying that even the doctor he spoke to had declined to predict if they would recover fully.
Muhammad Iskandar, 20, has been found to have bleeding in his head, liver and spleen.
Ami Nakim, 27, who suffered fractures in his left hand and legs, underwent surgery this morning.
Surendran said Muhammad’s spleen is so damaged that, even if he recovers, he will have to take penicillin for the remainder of his life.
“We were shocked when we saw the injuries of the two patients,” he said.
He said the organisers had been “criminally negligent” for not having placed barriers between the crowd and the road.
“We spoke to many victims. The only barriers were some plants and on the other side (of the road), there were metal barriers. This is clearly wrong. Legally it was a complete breach of the law,” he said.
He stressed that the victims were not in the wrong, as it was the organisers’ duty to erect boundaries and keep the crowd away from the side of the road.
“There is also civil liability arising from this. The organisers were wrong from both a civil and criminal point of view,” he said, adding that PKR is willing to offer legal aid to anyone who needs it.
Nurul Izzah called for a “full investigation” into the incident, and for the organisers to be probed as well.
“We cannot compromise on safety standards for these events. We don’t want a repeat of this accident ... The organisers must take responsibility and respond as soon as possible,” she added.
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