Two die, 13 hurt when tour bus overturns on KL-Karak highway

Two people were killed and 13 others injured after the bus they were travelling in overturned along the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway eastbound, today.

Bentong district police chief Zaiham Mohd Kahar said an emergency call about the incident was received at 8am.

He said the crash occurred when a tour bus, carrying 19 passengers, was heading towards Kuantan.

“Apart from the two victims, the bus driver and a woman were seriously hurt, while 11 others were reportedly injured; the other five victims escaped unhurt,” he said in a statement today.

Zaiham said the victims and injured passengers were taken to Bentong Hospital for further action and stressed there were no victims trapped under the bus, as claimed in a video clip.

Meanwhile, in Baling, Kedah, a motorcyclist was killed after being involved in a collision with a factory bus along Jalan Merbau Pulas-Kuala Ketil, close to a petrol station near Kuantan, last night.

Baling district police chief Shamsudin Mamat said in the 8.20pm incident, the victim, identified as Ooi Su Ching, 43, who works as a heavy machinery driver, was believed to be on his way home from work in Kuala Bakong to his house in Kuala Ketil.

“Upon arriving at the location, a bus, which was trying to overtake a car, hit the motorcycle ridden by the victim, from behind.

“The victim, at the time, was believed to be in the right lane to make a turn. The victim, who suffered severe head injuries, was confirmed dead at the scene,” he said in a statement today.

Shamsudin said the 38-year-old factory bus driver and his seven passengers, aged 23 to 46, who are factory workers in Bayan Lepas, Penang, escaped unhurt.

“The body of the motorcyclist was sent to the Forensic Unit of Kulim Hospital for a post-mortem, while the bus driver was detained to assist the investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987,” he said.

- Bernama