Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Two killed in Karak crash, 17 including driver hurt

KUALA LUMPUR: Two passengers were killed and 17 others seriously injured when an express bus heading from Genting Highland towards the city plunged into a 10m-deep ravine along the Karak Highway yesterday.

The identities of the victims, a man said to be a foreigner, and a woman from Seremban, both in their 40s, have yet to be ascertained.

There were 45 passengers on board the bus and most of them were believed to be tourists staying in Genting Highlands. Most of the victims were not carrying travel documents.

In the 6.30pm incident, the driver of the Genting Express bus crashed into a divider at the 25th kilometre of the highway.

It is believed that the 47-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle, and veered left, in heavy rain.

Rescue underway: Rescue staff scaling down the cliff to assist in recovery
operations at the crash site after the bus crashed into a divider and plunged

into the ravine.

Gombak traffic chief Deputy Supt Mohammad Rafiq Mustafa said those injured were rushed to Selayang Hospital while the two bodies were taken to Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

He said police would question the driver, who was slightly injured, to find out more details of the crash. The incident caused a massive traffic jam for more than four hours.