The Star: 14 die in crash at trunk road

Monday December 1, 2003
14 die in crash at trunk road
The trunk road tragedy

KUALA LIPIS: The carnage at the 63rd kilometre of the Gua Musang-Kuala Lipis trunk road, was frightening. And the toll on human lives following an early morning collision between two buses was alarming – at press time 14 people had died and 23 were warded in four hospitals for various injuries.

Among those warded are two in Kuala Lumpur Hospital, who are in critical condition.

At the scene of the accident, containers of raya cookies stained with blood and torn baju raya lay strewn all over.

These were the belongings of the 75 people on the two buses – a school bus converted for commercial use carrying 42 passengers and a driver from Pasir Puteh to Kuala Lumpur; and an express bus with 30 passengers, a driver and co-driver, which was heading for Kota Baru from Kuala Lumpur.

The scene of the tragedy.
Most of the passengers on both buses were asleep but were rudely awakened at about 1.10am yesterday, when the vehicles collided.

Thirteen passengers died on the spot – 10 on the school bus and three on the express bus. Another passenger of the school bus died at the Kuala Lipis district hospital some five hours later.

The dead comprised eight women, five men and a two-year-old girl.

A Proton Iswara trailing behind the express bus crashed into the back of the vehicle but the couple in it escaped unscathed.

Army personnel load bodies of the victims into a truck after the completion of post-mortems at Hospital Lipis.
The driver's side of the school bus was practically ripped open in the impact. The metal siding on one side of the express bus was also torn off.

Both bus drivers survived the crash. The express bus driver, who suffered a broken right arm, and bruises on his body and face, was discharged from the Kuantan Hospital and detained by police.

Lipis deputy OCPD Deputy Supt Ahmad Washid Abd Majid said the other driver would also be detained to assist in investigations.

As at press time, police had released the names of nine of the deceased – eight from Kelantan and one from Lumut – as the identification process was still ongoing.

DSP Ahmad Washid said many victims, especially the women, did not carry their identification documents on them.

“Their belongings were thrown everywhere during the crash. Some luggage was even flung off the bus. Some of the bodies were also badly mangled.

“This caused some difficulties in establishing their identities quickly,” he told a press conference.

The victims who had been identified were express bus passengers Ramzi Abdul Hadi, 31, from Kg Batu 8, Kadok, Kota Baru; Noramni bte Ramzi, two, Kg Batu 8, Kadok, Kota Baru; and Hasrulamin Hassan, 27, RPT Kesedar, Sungai Terah, Gua Musang; and school bus passengers Wan Mohd Rizal, 21, Kg Berangan, Selinsing, Pasir Puteh; Raja Azhar Raja Deraman, 25, Kg Sungai Durian, Bukit Abal, Pasir Puteh; Nik Yuriz Herman Roslin, Lumut; Rosniza bte Jusoh, 24, Kg Jerus, Pasir Puteh; Norazila bte Ismail, 26, Kg Selinsing, Pasir Puteh; Ratna Suria bte Ahmad, 19, Kg Banir, Belikong, Pasir Puteh.

DSP Ahmad Washid said that 19 passengers – 12 women, six men and one child – had been warded at the Lipis hospital.

“Another is warded in the Mentakab hospital, two in Kuantan and two others in Kuala Lumpur,” he added.

The shortcut where the accident occurred is rarely used by buses, since all major traffic, including express buses travelling between Kota Baru and Kuala Lumpur, use the Sungai Koyan road or Route Number 8 from Kuala Lipis to Gua Musang and Kota Baru.

However, it is learnt that many buses have been using the Kg Cegar Perah shortcut for the past few weeks because of construction work on some parts of the Sungai Koyan road, which delays travelling time.

Monday December 1, 2003
14 die in crash at trunk road
The trunk road tragedy

KUALA LIPIS: The carnage at the 63rd kilometre of the Gua Musang-Kuala Lipis trunk road, was frightening. And the toll on human lives following an early morning collision between two buses was alarming – at press time 14 people had died and 23 were warded in four hospitals for various injuries.

Among those warded are two in Kuala Lumpur Hospital, who are in critical condition.

At the scene of the accident, containers of raya cookies stained with blood and torn baju raya lay strewn all over.

These were the belongings of the 75 people on the two buses – a school bus converted for commercial use carrying 42 passengers and a driver from Pasir Puteh to Kuala Lumpur; and an express bus with 30 passengers, a driver and co-driver, which was heading for Kota Baru from Kuala Lumpur.

The scene of the tragedy.
Most of the passengers on both buses were asleep but were rudely awakened at about 1.10am yesterday, when the vehicles collided.

Thirteen passengers died on the spot – 10 on the school bus and three on the express bus. Another passenger of the school bus died at the Kuala Lipis district hospital some five hours later.

The dead comprised eight women, five men and a two-year-old girl.

A Proton Iswara trailing behind the express bus crashed into the back of the vehicle but the couple in it escaped unscathed.

Army personnel load bodies of the victims into a truck after the completion of post-mortems at Hospital Lipis.
The driver's side of the school bus was practically ripped open in the impact. The metal siding on one side of the express bus was also torn off.

Both bus drivers survived the crash. The express bus driver, who suffered a broken right arm, and bruises on his body and face, was discharged from the Kuantan Hospital and detained by police.

Lipis deputy OCPD Deputy Supt Ahmad Washid Abd Majid said the other driver would also be detained to assist in investigations.

As at press time, police had released the names of nine of the deceased – eight from Kelantan and one from Lumut – as the identification process was still ongoing.

DSP Ahmad Washid said many victims, especially the women, did not carry their identification documents on them.

“Their belongings were thrown everywhere during the crash. Some luggage was even flung off the bus. Some of the bodies were also badly mangled.

“This caused some difficulties in establishing their identities quickly,” he told a press conference.

The victims who had been identified were express bus passengers Ramzi Abdul Hadi, 31, from Kg Batu 8, Kadok, Kota Baru; Noramni bte Ramzi, two, Kg Batu 8, Kadok, Kota Baru; and Hasrulamin Hassan, 27, RPT Kesedar, Sungai Terah, Gua Musang; and school bus passengers Wan Mohd Rizal, 21, Kg Berangan, Selinsing, Pasir Puteh; Raja Azhar Raja Deraman, 25, Kg Sungai Durian, Bukit Abal, Pasir Puteh; Nik Yuriz Herman Roslin, Lumut; Rosniza bte Jusoh, 24, Kg Jerus, Pasir Puteh; Norazila bte Ismail, 26, Kg Selinsing, Pasir Puteh; Ratna Suria bte Ahmad, 19, Kg Banir, Belikong, Pasir Puteh.

DSP Ahmad Washid said that 19 passengers – 12 women, six men and one child – had been warded at the Lipis hospital.

“Another is warded in the Mentakab hospital, two in Kuantan and two others in Kuala Lumpur,” he added.

The shortcut where the accident occurred is rarely used by buses, since all major traffic, including express buses travelling between Kota Baru and Kuala Lumpur, use the Sungai Koyan road or Route Number 8 from Kuala Lipis to Gua Musang and Kota Baru.

However, it is learnt that many buses have been using the Kg Cegar Perah shortcut for the past few weeks because of construction work on some parts of the Sungai Koyan road, which delays travelling time.

http://thestar.com.my/news/nastory.asp?file=/2003/12/1/nation/6818404&sec=n