6 die, 5 injured in express bus crash

RAWANG: Five passengers and the driver of a double-decker express bus died and five injured after the bus skidded, hit the divider and toppled at Km443 of the North-South Expressway near Rawang Monday morning.

Police said the accident occurred at about 5.30am after the double-decker bus, carrying 34 passengers from Changlun, Kedah, went out of control.

The wreckage which took authorities about four hours to clear caused a massive crawl heading south from Bukit Beruntung toll plaza in the morning.

The AB Express bus, carrying about 34 passengers, was travelling to Kuala Lumpur from Alor Setar when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle at 5am.

The out-of-control bus skidded against the divider railings causing about 64 metres of the metal railings to break off and spear into the lower deck of the bus before the bus came to a stop beside the road on its side.

The who died at the scene are, Md Zaher Mohamad , 33, C. Magenthiran, 26, Mohamad Fauzi Awang, 57, Muhammad Ismail, 27, Mohd Yusril Zakaria, 27, and driver Zulkhibri Md Saad, 35, but who was resting at the time of the accident.

Magenthiran was the only one not from the lower deck. He was thrown out of the bus. Zulkhibri was decapitated by the metal railings.

Federal traffic police chief Senior Asst Comm II Datuk Abd Aziz Yusof said the co driver, who had been driving at the time of the incident, and two women, one of them seven months pregnant, have been warded at Hospital Sungai Buloh. Two others, who suffered light injuries, went home after outpatient treatment.

“The others were taken to the Gombak police headquarters to have their statements recorded,” he said.

SAC Abd Aziz said initial investigations revealed that the driver, Fauzi Mohammad, 33, had received eight summons previously for speeding while his co-driver, Zulkhibri, had six summons and five arrest warrants under his name for the same offence.

“We are investigating the case as reckless driving leading to death under Section 41 of the Road Transport Act,” he said.

He confirmed this was the worst road accident in the country so far this year.

Sulinda Md Yassin, 31, who is seven months pregnant said she was sleeping on the upper deck of the bus during the incident.

“I heard a loud crash and the entire bus shook violently.

“I was able to get out through the emergency exit with some help from the other passengers,” she said adding she was thankful she survived.

“I had wanted to sit at the lower deck but was force to move up as there was no empty seats left,” she said, when met at the hospital.

source: thestar.com.my By M.KUMAR and STEVEN DANIEL