IPOH: Two people were killed and 36 injured when a double decker express bus crashed into a road divider along the Ipoh-Lumut Highway near Batu Gajah Perdana this morning.
The dead have been identified as a female passenger Munzirah Jalaludin, 20, and the bus driver, Mohamad Azizul Che Aziz, 31.
The bus, which was en route from Ipoh to Lumut, was carrying 37 passengers when the accident occurred at 5am.
“All the injured passengers were rushed to the Batu Gajah Hospital,” Batu Gajah fire station chief Mohd Jamaluddin Mat Yusop said when contacted.
Meanwhile, Batu Gajah Fire and Rescue Department chief of operations, Zainal Abidin Wok, said a distress call on the accident was received at 5.08am.
“The two victims were found dead at the location.
“Firefighters are in the process of carrying out a clearing-up operation at the site,” he added.
Passenger Wan Mohd Amir Erfan Wan Mohd Amin, 19, who was seated on the top deck said he was awoken by a loud bang when the bus hit the divider.
The Seri Iskandar Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara (UiTM) student told NSTP that most of the passengers on the bus were asleep when the accident happened.
The female passenger killed was also a student at the same institution.
Following the accident, Wan Mohd Amir Erfan said his legs were pinned and he fell on the floor.
"Some screamed, some were thrown to the seats in front, it was quite chaotic.
"Before the accident, I did notice that the bus was going quite fast. After the accident, many passengers who were either not injured or suffered light injuries managed to get themselves out of the bus.
"The situation on the top deck was not that bad," he said when met at the Batu Gajah Hospital's emergency unit, here.
He informed that he only sustained some cuts as a result from his legs getting stuck.
Another victim Mohammad Syamim Zikri Mat Zaki, 18, said he too was asleep on the lower deck when the accident took place.
He sustained a broken hand from the concrete debris that entered the bus after it hit the divider.
"I could not feel my right hand," Mohammad Syamim Zikri who was seated behind the bus driver said.
He informed that his father would take him home to Besut, Terengganu and he would continue receiving treatment at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan as it was closer to home.
Batu Gajah deputy district police chief Supt Tan Boon Hooi said 15 were injured with three passengers having sustained severe injuries.
"2 of the 3 were sent to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital for further treatment," he said.