Genting Highlands bus crash report made public today. @HishammuddinH2O

The evaluation report on the Genting bus crash tragedy on Aug 21 last year has been officially released with 51 recommendations made to face similar incidents in the future, said acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

He said the recommendations were not limited to the bus crash but can be applied to all hill side roads that were prone to accidents and classified as black spots across the country.

The report had proposed 16 recommendations on involving roads, 20 recommendations on vehicles, eight recommendations on safe operation practices, four recommendations on emergency response and rescue as well as three recommendations on strengthening and empowering the public for road safety.

Among them include establishing a nationwide systematic road safety assessment and risk mapping, strengthening the enforcement for the use of safety barrier at high risk sections, review the existing approval and licensing processes of public service and goods vehicle, setting up a national roll-out of computer aided dispatch (CAD 999) systems.

"The independent advisory panel had also been extended to become the National Transportation Safety Board after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

"The board is tasked to advise, investigate, analyse and submit report of any recommendations to the Transport Ministry involving any road safety isssues, railways, and maritime," he said in a news conference at the Defence Ministry headquarters on Thursday.

It understood that the evaluation report can be obtained at the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety and Research website.

In the report, the panel acknowledge that many factors contributed to the crash however it is concerned that the issues are institutional and system based.

The report elaborated that these concerns points that the problems are not isolated cases.

"With this view, the panel decided that the proposed recommendations would not only be specific to the case but also applicable to transport industry as a whole," it stated.

In the accident at Kilometre 3.6 Jalan Genting Highlands-Kuala Lumpur, 37 people were killed while 16 others were injured, making it the worst ever road tragedy in the country.

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MASwings chief: Twin Otter that crashed was airworthy

The Twin Otter airplane that crashed in Kudat on Thursday afternoon was fit to fly and in good condition, MASwings chairman Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said.

Ahmad Jauhari, who extended his deepest condolences to the families of the two people who died in the crash, said pilot Captain Wan Mohd Abd Amir Wan Yahya had more than 4,700 flying hours and had been with the company since August 2011.

He said an investigation will be carried out by the authorities, and Malaysia Airlines and MASwings will fully co-operated and assist in every possible way.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the deceased and those involved in the accident. We are doing everything we can to assist them in this extremely difficult time," he told reporters here late Thursday before leaving for Kudat, some 190km north of here.

He said Malaysia Airlines and MASwings will continue to monitor the situation at the crash site and provide information relating to the flight itself and updates on steps being taken.

Jauhari said their utmost priority was to ensure the complete well-being of their passengers, crew and other affected parties.

MAS, he said, would be providing assistance to the victims of MASWings flight MH3002, which was carrying 14 passengers and two pilots.

"Out of the 16 onboard, 15 were Malaysians and one is Filipino national," Jauhari added.

A 24-hour Call Centre service has been activated. Families of passengers who were onboard can call 603-7884 1234 for further inquiries.

"We have also set up our Go Team in Kudat to look after their needs and keep them as quickly informed as possible," he added.

He said all other MASwings scheduled flight operations were continuing as usual.

Two people were killed and five others injured when a MASwings Twin Otter went off course as it approached the runway and crashed into a house in Kudat.

Co-pilot Marc Joel Bansh suffered multiple fractures and head injuries and was airlifted by helicopter to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu. However, the 23-year-old died on arrival at the hospital.

A 69-year-old passenger, Tan Ah Chai, died at the hospital two hours after the 2.5pm crash.

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Four vehicles crash on Karak Highway

A four-vehicle pile up involving two express buses, a trailer and a car held up traffic for two hours on the Karak Highway.

Thirteen people, including a couple in the car, were injured in the accident which occurred at about 4pm at KM31.5 of the highway, heading to Kuala Lumpur.

There were no casualties and the injured were sent to the Selayang and Kuala Lumpur hospitals.

There were 38 passengers in the two buses.

An emergency call was recorded at 3.49pm and the first fire engine arrived at 4.30pm, said Bandar Baru Selayang Fire and Rescue station chief Azrul Khairi Abu Bakar in a statement.

He said rescue personnel brought out the victims from the bus in 15 minutes.

It is believed that the accident was caused by the bus that failed to stop and rammed into the back of another bus.

The second bus, in turn, hit the back of the trailer which it was following.

The car, a Honda City, failed to avoid the middle bus and lost control, ending up on its side on the right lane.

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Bus crash victim recalls being sandwiched between bodies

Bus crash survivor Tan Ming Shing was sandwiched between dead bodies for about half an hour before he was finally rescued from the wreckage.

“My only thought at the time was that I must stay alive no matter what happened. I was trapped. There were bodies on top and under me. Luckily, I still had a bit of room to breathe,” said the 26-year-old as he described the horrific experience.

Tan, who works at Genting as a kitchen staff, suffered a broken left arm during the accident and is now warded at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL).

“When the bus plunged into the ravine, other passengers were screaming, crying or praying.

“I was sure I was going to die. I had been sitting at the back row of the bus but I was thrown right to the front. If not for the big trees there, the bus would have plunged down even further,” he said.

Meanwhile, the father of survivor Saedah Misbun, 19, was having a drink at a restaurant in their hometown in Tanjung Malim when his daughter called him.

“She called and she was crying. She said the bus had met with an accident and that she was in pain. I could hear people screaming in pain and people praying. And then, the line got cut off,” said Misbun Kastopodo, 43.

He had no choice but to wait as he did not know where Saedah was.

“A few hours later, a doctor called me and told me my daughter was at the hospital,” he said.

Saedah, who was thrown out of the bus during the incident, suffered fractures on the right side of her ribs, as well as injuries to her lungs, but otherwise in stable condition.

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Genting bus crash: Police call off search, 15 victims identified so far

Police have called off search and rescue efforts to locate more victims of the bus crash that claimed the lives of 37 passengers.

Bentong OCPD Supt Mohd Mansor Mohd Norr said police have ended their search and are now conducting operations to retrieve valuables and documents to identify the dead.

"Our personnel only found two severed legs which will be sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

"We are confident that there are no more victims in the bus or in the surrounding area," he told pressmen at the scene on Thursday morning.

Supt Mansor said of the 37 dead only 15 have been identified  so far.

"Those with relatives who have gone by bus to Genting Highlands and have gone missing should talk to the police immediately.

"We could use any help, even description of their attire could assist in the identification process," he said adding that the dead were all brought to HKL.

He said 34 post mortems have already been performed while five bodies have been claimed.

Supt Mohd Mansor said the majority of the cause of deaths was multiple injuries and severe internal organ damage.

"The tragedy is by far the worst in this area so far. If the bus had not got snagged on the trees, it could have easily plunged an additional 100ft down the slope," he said adding that the case was being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless driving.

Supt Mohd Mansor said police would take statements from the survivors once they have recovered from the ordeal in order to get a clearer picture of the incident.

"Once our personnel have finished retrieving valuables and documents, forensic units and Puspakom officials will be sent down to conduct an on-site investigation.

"When they have finished we will start work on hoisting up the bus to be brought to the Bentong police station," he said.

Names of victims identified, so far

1. Chan Fook Choy, 62, M

2. Chan Lai Huat, M

3. Sub Moy @ Sak Moy, 71, F

4. Sek Sooi Chan, F

5. Lee Fok Wah, 62, M

6. Law Tiaw Meng, 36, M

7. Law See Kee, 19, F

8. Yap Hing, 61, M

9. Muhammad Rasid Jantan, 61, M

10. Ng Ah Heng, F

11. Choo Peng Kwan, 66, M

12. Sukhviv Singh, M (India national)

13. Auther Mash, M (India national)

14. Rafik Ali Buai Habac Chu, M (Bangladeshi)

15. Bhuiyan Rifique Ali, M (Bangladeshi)

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Foreign worker killed in worksite crash

A foreign worker was killed in another crane crash - three days after a motorist was killed by falling construction equipment at the LRT project site.

The latest victim, in his 30s, and another foreigner were on a sky lift, repairing the zinc roofing on a four-storey flat in Kampung Keramat yesterday.

According to witnesses, the arm of the crane arm was fully extended and had two men in the basket when it lost balance and toppled over.

This caused the basket to come crashing down between the flat and a row of single-storey homes behind it.

Fire engines from the Setapak and Kampung Keramat stations rushed to the scene after receiving a call at noon.

The building had minimal damage but the impact of the crash broke the crane's arm and basket, killing the Indonesian worker instantly and injuring his colleague.

Another worker, who was on the roof, escaped unharmed and was later rescued.

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Three killed as express bus crashes into divider at Bukit Taga

Three passengers were killed when an express bus went out of control and hit the road divider near the Bukit Tagar Toll Plaza in Hulu Selangor, along the North-South Expressway, early Monday.

During the 3.10am accident, Mohd Zamri Rani, 42, from Kedah, Mohd Ainul Fauzi Mohd Aman, 25, from Simpang Renggam, Johor Baru and a yet to be identified woman, died at the scene.

Hulu Selangor police chief Supt Norel Azmi said the driver of the bus was believed to have lost control and hit the road divider.

"The express bus from Kuala Lumpur and heading north was believed to be speeding when the driver lost control. The impact saw the road divider cut through the bus frame," he said.

The bodies of the three victims were later sent to the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital while the driver who was injured, was sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital, for treatment.

Norel added that 13 other passengers in the bus were not injured.

 

Source : CLICK

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Family burnt to death in car-bus accident

A couple and their two daughters were burnt to death when the car they were in burst into flames after it collided with an express bus at Km26 Jalan Kuala Terengganu-Kuantan near the Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (IKBN), Kemasik here.

The dead were Mohd Sabirin Sulaiman, 50, a teacher, his wife Halina Saif.

Terengganu police chief Datuk Jamshah Mustapa said that in the 1.30am incident yesterday, the family were on their way from Kuantan to Dungun when their car went out of control and into the path of the express bus coming from the opposite direction.

“The express bus on its way from Kota Baru to Malacca dragged the car for about some 30m.

“The car then caught fire which also spread to the bus which was ferrying eight passengers,” he told reporters at the scene.

He said the bus driver and passengers escaped with only minor injuries except for one passenger who broke a leg when jumping out to safety.

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Behavior of Penang's folk causes the problem

Curious onlookers slowed down the Fire and Rescue Department's rescue efforts after a car crashed into a landscaped slope at Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway here.

Perak Road Fire Station senior officer Yaakob Abdul Aziz said they took about 30 minutes to extricate Loo Toon Cheat's body from the wrecked vehicle.

“The operation could have been faster if not for the actions of some passers-by and motorists who crowded the area,” he said.

“We could have saved a lot of time if they had freed up some space for us to carry out our job.

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Bride-to-be dies in crash near Slim River

SLIM RIVER: Pang Lee Si was supposed to be married in 10 days' time.

However, the 35-year-old from Serdang, Kedah, and four others were killed when their journey to a musical performance at a temple ended in tragedy.

The MPV they were travelling in from Parit Buntar to Muar collided with a stationary 12-tonne lorry at KM372 of the North-South Expressway at about 7am yesterday.
“The MPV crashed into a rice-laden lorry, which was parked on the emergency lane,” said Deputy Tanjung Malim OCPD Deputy Supt R. Supramaniam

“The lorry (which was heading towards Sungai Buloh, Selangor, from Jitra, Kedah) had a flat tyre and was forced to stop by the roadside.

“The MPV rammed into the lorry before the driver could place emergency cones to warn incoming vehicles,” he added.

DSP Supramaniam said the five died on the spot while six others were rushed to the Slim River Hospital.

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Superbiker dies in crash

A fun roadtrip among superbike enthusiasts ended in tragedy after one rider died and five others were seriously injured in an accident.

Ishak Jaafar, 53, died on the spot in the accident which occurred at about noon yesterday on KM13.6 of the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) near the Subang Jaya exit.

The accident happened when a car driving on the middle lane of the highway suddenly swerved into the fast lane on the right, hitting six bikers.

It is believed that one of the injured bikers is a traffic policeman from Johor.

The convoy was heading north from Kota Tinggi, Johor.

The other injured bikers in the 12-man convoy were rushed to Hospital Sungai Buloh for treatment.

Ishak's body has been taken to Universiti Malaya Medical Centre for a post mortem.

The superbikes involved are estimated to cost between RM80,000 and RM150,000 each.

A post on the accident at the Fire and Rescue Department's official Facebook page saw over 500 users offering their condolences to Ishak's family.

 

TheStar

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Four highway workers killed after trailer crashes into them

IPOH: Four Projek Penyelenggaraan Lebuhraya Berhad (Propel) workers were killed and four others seriously injured after a trailer crashed into them at KM294 of the North-South Expressway near Gopeng.

Perak police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said three workers died on-the-spot while the fourth died at the hospital after the 4.30am accident yesterday.

The victims have been identified as Hafez Yunus, 39, from Kuala Lumpur, Ismady Mohd Rodzi, 32, from Kulim, Kedah, Shaharuddin Abd Aziz, 51, from Kuala Kangsar, and Mohd Shafie Ismail, 56, from Ipoh.

DCP Mohd Shukri said four other workers, the trailer driver and the co-driver were injured.

Those injured have been identified as Dino Azmi, 36, Mohd Rozi Mat Sharif, 44, Azhan Ismail, 44, Mahyuddin Idris, 48, Zulkifli Mohd Noor, 41, and Shafudin Abdul Jalil, 31.

“The workers were about to start some maintenance work along the left side of that stretch.

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Three highway workers killed by trailer

IPOH: Three highway maintenance workers died on the spot when a trailer crashed into them along KM294 of the North-South Expressway, near Gopeng.

Kampar OCPD Supt Ng Kong Soon said the trailer, which was heading towards Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur, had ploughed into eight Projek Penyelenggaraan Lebuhraya Berhad (Propel) workers on the left lane of the expressway at about 4.30am on Wednesday.

Supt Ng said seven others, including the trailer driver and a co-driver, sustained serious injuries.

He said the workers were conducting some maintenance work there prior to the incident.

He added the the road was wet and on an uphill stretch.

"All victims have been sent to hospitals in Kampar and Ipoh to receive treatment," he said.

 

Source : Click

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JALAN UTARA IN PETALING JAYA BADLY NEEDS A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

THE stretch along Jalan Utara in Petaling Jaya near the Asia Jaya LRT station is in dire need of a pedestrian bridge or designated crosswalk.

Every day, people are seen crossing the road haphazardly at the risk of getting knocked down by oncoming traffic.

If you are getting off the LRT from the Asia Jaya station and want to cross over to other side of Jalan Utara or vice versa, it is so dangerous because the traffic is constant and pedestrians can also be seen jumping over the metal barrier in the middle of the road.

Graphic designer Daryl Lim, 24, from Sungai Buloh, who used to commute to Petaling Jaya to attend PJ College of Art & Design in Jalan Barat said he hoped the local government would do something about this problem.

“This area is quite troublesome for commuters. During peak hours, you can see a big crowd waiting for the traffic to clear to get to the other side of the road,” he said.

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Clerk plunges to his death as car skids off Penang Bridge

GEORGE TOWN: A 24-year-old man plunged to his death after he lost control of his car and drove off the Penang Bridge into the sea.

Factory clerk Tan Lean Loon was believed to be on his way home to Air Itam on the island at around 4am yesterday when his car rammed into the side guardrail at KM7.9 along the bridge.

The car then skidded along the iron railing for a short distance before hitting a lamp post and plunging into the sea.

Scuba divers later recovered Tan's body from the wreckage of the car.

This is believed to be the first time since the Penang Bridge opened in 1985 that such an incident had occurred.

His girlfriend, Chee Jia Ying, 19, who was seen crying uncontrollably at the Penang Hospital mortuary, said Tan had sent her an SMS before midnight on Wednesday that he had arrived home.

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Three killed in car crash on Penang Bridge

GEORGE TOWN: Three people, including an Indonesian woman, were killed when the car they were in crashed into a guardrail at the Penang Bridge.

Driver Sadisafizan Said, 36, and front passenger Muslim Idwar, 38, died instantly while the third victim, known only as Mailinda, 18, succumbed to her injuries seven hours later at the Seberang Jaya Hospital.

A fourth victim, a woman whose identity is unknown, is in critical condition at Penang Hospital.

They were heading to Butterworth in a Proton Perdana when the mishap occurred at about 3.15am yesterday.

Apparently, Sadisafizan had overtaken another car at the 1.6km point of the bridge when the car spun several times and crashed into the guardrail more than 150m away.

Sadisafizan, from Selayang, and Muslim, from Gombak, were believed to have been in Penang on a holiday.

Firemen who rushed to the scene spent about 30 minutes to extricate the bodies from the wreckage.

Passers-by also assisted medical personnel in sending the two women to hospital.

A police spokesman said the case was being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.

Source : Click

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Indonesian worker dies in freak accident

SHAH ALAM: An Indonesian worker was killed and another lost a leg after a concrete slab of a bungalow under renovation in Section 7 here collapsed.

Eight men were believed to be carrying out extension work for a bedroom on the first floor of the house when the concrete slab collapsed at 4.20pm yesterday.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel managed to rescue three victims at about 5pm and another one an hour later.

The body of the dead worker was brought out at 6.20pm.

Workers used heavy machinery to clear the rubble through the night in efforts to save the three remaining workers.

Shah Alam OCPD Asst Comm Zahedi Ayob said the victims were sent to the Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang.

He also said the luxury house, which was unoccupied, had yet to be issued a certificate of fitness.

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Six killed in car-bus collision

KEMAMAN: Six people died in a head-on collision between their Perodua Viva and an express bus near SK Meraga Beras at KM129.5 here.

The victims were on their way from Kemaman to Kuala Terengganu when the incident occurred at about 4.30am yesterday.

It is learnt that the victims' car went into the opposite lane before colliding with the bus.

The bus, driven by Mohd Khalid Mamat, 47, from Kota Baru, Kelantan, was carrying 23 passengers.

The Perodua Viva's driver, Khairudi Omar, 31, and his disabled friend Wan Alpisar Wan Abd Kadir, 43, died on the spot along with four others in the car.

The other victims were Noran Ali, 39, and her three daughters Nur Khairatul Najihah, 14, Nur Syazleen Norizan, 10, and Nur Syardiena Afzan, nine.

Noran's two other daughters, Nursakinah, 17, and Nursyafura, 13, are in critical condition and were sent to Kemaman Hospital before being transferred to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan, Pahang.

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Sports cars go crashing, four killed

KUANTAN: Four lives were lost when two high-powered sports cars were destroyed after they skidded and hit two trees.

The crashes involving Nissan Skyline cars occurred moments apart at about 4am, fuelling speculation that the drivers were speeding along the Jalan Haji Ahmad Satu stretch here.

The driver of the first car was identified as Tan Kah Yong, 34, a businessman from Klang while a woman from China, Bao Shanshan, 27, was his front passenger.

Firemen had to extricate their bodies from the badly-mangled vehicle.

Two other women passengers, Wei Litong and Zhang Hongmei, also from China, have been warded at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital with serious injuries. All three women apparently worked at a karaoke outlet here.

Also killed were the driver of the second car, businessman Go Haw Wei, 20, from Alor Akar, and car salesman Koay Khor Liang, 21, from Bukit Sekilau.

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Car-lorry collision kills two friends

JITRA: Two friends travelling to Haadyai, Thailand, were killed in a collision involving their car and a lorry during a downpour at km21.8 of the North-South Expressway here.

A worker of highway maintenance company Propel Bhd said he saw the car skidding and spinning several times before crashing into the lorry in the 11.15am incident yesterday.

The victims were identified as Khaw Chun Seong, 21, from Simpang Empat, Alor Setar, and Lye Guang Shong, 25, from Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

The two, who were credit card agents with a bank in Kuala Lumpur, died of severe injuries at the scene.

Kee Kim Ngaung, 60, who lives nearby, said he heard a loud bang and rushed to the site.

“I recognised Khaw's name from a notebook inside the car and realised he was the son of a friend.

“I called his father to tell him of the accident,” he said, when met at the Jitra Hospital mortuary.

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