SIBU: Five people including two children were killed in an accident involving a car, a pick-up truck, a trailer and an express bus at Jalan Oya-Sibu near the Stapang police station here today.
All the victims, including a boy and a girl, aged four and 12 respectively, died on the spot on the 3.40pm incident.
At press time, full details of the identity of the victims, who were travelling in a Perodua Viva, could not be immediately obtained.
It was learnt that driver of the trailer, which was transporting cars, lost control of the vehicle and rammed into the rear of the Perodua Viva.
The impact of the accident pushed the Perodua Viva into the rear of the pick-up truck before it skidded to the opposite road and collided head-on with the express bus.
A witness and the pick-up truck driver, who only identified himself as Dunstan, said he was driving slowly as there was a lorry laden with rocks manoeuvring a right turn at the area.
“The Perodua Viva suddenly rammed into the rear of my vehicle before it skidded to the opposite side of the road and crash into the oncoming express bus,” he said.
Dunstan said he was shocked, traumatised and speechless as he could hear the cries of children from the Perodua Viva when it passed by his truck and skidded into the opposite lane.
“The cries stopped with a loud crash sound caused by the impact of the accident between car and the bus,” he said.
Dunstan admitted that the impact of the accident was strong as his vehicle also rammed into the rear of another car.
State Fire and Rescue Department operation centre spokesman said rescuers had to use special tools to extricate the victims from the wrecked car.
“The first body belonging to a boy was removed from the car at 4.50pm.
“About three hours later, the second body, an adult male, was extricated from the car,” he said, adding that the bodies of the three other passengers were extricated about 40 minutes later.