KUANTAN: Six passengers in the tourist van accident near Genting Highlands in Bentong yesterday are in critical condition.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said five of the women were warded at the intensive care unit of Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) while another was at the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh.
"The six women are in severe condition. The seventh victim is warded in HKL and her condition has been described as non-critical.
"Seven others, including the van driver and his assistant, died in the accident," he told reporters at the Pahang police contingent headquarters here today.
Earlier he had witnessed the handing-over of duties by outgoing Pahang deputy police chief Datuk Abdul Razak Mohd Yusoff to Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Noor Hisam Nordin, who will serve as the acting deputy police chief.
In the 1.15pm accident yesterday, the tourist van skidded crashed into a road divider at Km4.8 of Jalan Genting Highlands.
Fourteen people were travelling in the vehicle, including tour van driver Wong Choun Chiet, 49, his assistant, and 12 female passengers aged between 49 and 78 years old.
They were returning to Penang from Genting Highlands when the accident occurred.
Ramli said initial checks revealed the tourist van had a valid permit and did not exceed its seating capacity.
He said although investigations revealed that the accident occurred when the driver lost control of the wheel while negotiating a bend and crashed into a concrete divider, they would continue their probe with the cooperation from other agencies.
"We welcome the Land Public Transport Commission and Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research to look into the crash from a wider scope."