14 dead, 16 hurt in bus horror
Published on: Sunday, December 25, 2016
MUAR: An express bus travelling north plunged into a 20-metre ravine at Km137.3 of the North-South Expressway early Saturday, killing 14 people and injuring 16 others.State Fire and Rescue Department Deputy Director, Mohd Yusof Mohd Gunnos, said those killed in the accident near Kampung Jayo, Pagoh, included the bus driver and a child.All the 14 people killed and the 16 people injured were taken to Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital.
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The Fire and Rescue Department received a distress call at 3.59am and 27 firefighters from Muar, Yong Peng and Bukit Gambir stations arrived at the scene 45 minutes later. Muar Police Chief ACP Azman Ayob said the bus travelling from Johor Baru to Kuala Lumpur left Larkin Bus Station, Johor Baru at 2am.He believed the speeding bus plunged into a ravine and then crashed into a concrete barrier of the tunnel at Kampung Jayo."The dead were six male and eight female, including a girl. Most of them are believed to be seated in the front rows," he said.Those injured were seven Malaysians (male), six Singaporeans (five male and one female), two Myanmar (male) and a female whose identity was not known. The case was investigated under Section 41 (1) of Road Transport Act 1987.
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A resident of Kampung Jayo who was among the first villagers at the crash site to help survivors, said she saw several of the passengers had been thrown out of the bus and were scattered on the ground. "I saw a young girl who was stuck in the bus door. She was screaming in pain. Then I heard a woman whose face was covered in blood calling for help, as she wanted me to help her pick up her toddler as she was too weak.
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When I went to pick the toddler up, I already knew it was no longer alive," she said. Another witness, Ahmad Fahmi Khairuddin, 19, said he was sitting outside the house chatting with a couple of his friends. "The bus came down quickly and it flew off the edge of the slope and crashed violently into the concrete wall, destroying the entire front portion of the bus. I can't imagine the driver surviving such a crash," said Fahmi.Meanwhile, the operator of the express bus has agreed to pay for the expenses of the victims, including funeral arrangements.Goldstar Express (M) Sdn Bhd chief supervisor Steven Chong was reported as saying that his company will also arrange the necessary logistics for all the victims to return home."This includes insurance claims for all passengers on board. Our company is also prepared to cooperate and assist the next of kin from this tragedy," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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