7 dead & 33 injured in crash involving tour bus, trailer & MPV on Malaysia expressway
Seven people were reportedly killed and 33 others injured in a collision involving three vehicles on the northbound lane of the North-South Expressway (PLUS) in Malaysia on Monday (23 Dec).
Source: Bernama via New Straits Times
Melaka Fire and Rescue Department director Mohd Pisar Aziz said the accident occurred around 8.40pm near the Ayer Keroh Rest and Service Area (R&R).
The crash involved a tour bus carrying 27 passengers, a trailer, and a Toyota Estima multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).
The seven fatalities included three men, three women, and a child.
Accident may have been triggered by dislodged tyre
Among the victims were five people in the Toyota Estima, including two adult men, two adult women, and a toddler.
The MPV, which had eight passengers, was completely crushed between the tour bus and the trailer.
One male victim’s body was severed above the waist due to the force of the collision.
Source: NST Online on Facebook
Initial investigations suggest the MPV was likely en route from Johor to Kuala Lumpur when the crash occurred.
According to Bernama, the accident may have been triggered when a tyre from a southbound lorry became dislodged and landed in the middle of the road.
The tour bus driver, travelling in the same direction with 27 passengers aboard, was unable to avoid the tyre and hit it, causing him to lose control.
The bus then skidded into the opposite lane, colliding with a car before crashing into the lorry and MPV.
As a result, the car veered into the left lane and struck the road barrier.
Victims identified, including Singaporean woman
The police have since identified all seven victims killed in the crash.
Source: Alor Gajah police via Bernama
Among them were Khairul Ikhwan Mazupi, 32, the driver of the MPV, and his two-year-old son, Muhammad Umar, both from Selangor.
Also identified were passengers Fadzlenna Ramli, 32, and her 67-year-old father, Ramli Ab Wahab, from Kuala Lumpur, as well as the 56-year-old tour bus driver, Noorisnien Khamid, from Johor.
The other two victims were Fauziah Jaafar, 69, a passenger in the MPV, and Lamrah Asid Ali, 66, a Singaporean passenger on the tour bus.
The remains of the victims were sent to Melaka Hospital for autopsies.
33 injured hospitalised for medical treatments
As for the injured, 17 were sent to Melaka Hospital, 10 to Alor Gajah Hospital, and six to Pantai Ayer Keroh Hospital.
Source: NST Online on Facebook
A team of 27 personnel was dispatched to the scene and spent approximately 40 hours carrying out the operation, which included removing the wrecked vehicles.
The northbound stretch from Ayer Keroh Toll Plaza was fully closed, and traffic was redirected, causing over four hours of congestion as the middle and right lanes remained blocked on Monday night (23 Dec).
Also read: 4 dead in collision on M’sia highway, casualties include pregnant woman
4 dead in collision on M’sia highway, casualties include pregnant woman
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Featured image adapted from NST Online on Facebook.
