What was meant to be a casual journey turned tragic when a tour bus and two lorries collided just past midnight at Kilometre 80.7 of the Southbound North-South Expressway (PLUS) near Ayer Hitam.
Two passengers, both Indonesian nationals, Zulhadi, 44, and Hidirman, 43, lost their lives after being trapped in the wreckage. 16 others were reportedly injured including the bus driver.
It was understood that the bus, carrying 45 passengers, crashed into a tanker and a tow truck at around 12:30AM. The drivers of both lorries were reported to have escaped the incident without injuries.
Bernama cited Ayer Hitam Fire and Rescue Station chief Assistant Fire Superintendent Mohamad Shamin Mohamed Salikin as saying his team received a distress call at 12:44am and immediately dispatched seven personnel to the scene.
"The accident involved three vehicles, namely a tour bus carrying 46 individuals including the driver, and two lorries
"There were two victims, both passengers of the bus, who were trapped and pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel, while sixteen others — including the bus driver and other passengers — sustained injuries," he says, adding that another 28 passengers escaped unharmed.
Mohamad Shamin confirmed that the injured victims were sent to hospital for further treatment, and the operation concluded entirely at 3.03AM.
