Bus carrying Thai tourists overturns in Malaysia, kills 26

[News_Editor]

Bus carrying Thai tourists overturns in Malaysia, kills 26

2010-12-20 14:34:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

POS SLIM, MALAYSIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least 26 people were killed on Monday when a tour bus carrying Thai tourists overturned in Malaysia, police and local media reported.

The accident happened around 11.40 a.m. local time in Pos Slim, a small town near Slim River in Perak state, when the tour bus was returning from the Cameron Highlands.

A police spokesperson said at least 26 people had been killed, of which 22 died at the scene and four others died at an area hospital. Thai citizens are believed to be among the victims, although none of the casualties have yet been identified.

It was not immediately clear how many people were aboard the bus, but police confirmed at least 11 people were being treated at a hospital. Some of them were in a critical condition.

Malaysian media reported that the driver of the bus lost control at a sharp turn, causing the vehicle to crash into a concrete divider before overturning.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-12-20

[Credo]

Very sad news.  My thoughts are with the families of those killed and I hope the injured make a full and speedy recovery.  

[webfact]

Malaysia bus crash kills 26, mostly Thais: police

by Romen Bose

KUALA LUMPUR, December 20, 2010 (AFP) - Twenty-six people, mostly Thai tourists, were killed Monday when their double-decker bus crashed on a highway after a trip to the Cameron Highlands, in Malaysia's worst-ever coach accident.

"We can confirm that 26 people died in the bus accident, 23 of them were Thai nationals who were tourists while three were Malaysians, namely the driver, co-driver and the tour guide," said Zakaria Yusof, acting state police chief.

"Eleven other Thai nationals survived the accident and are being treated in nearby hospitals," the Perak state police official told AFP.

A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said the bus hit a road divider and overturned as it travelled away from the Cameron Highlands, one of Malaysia's top tourist destinations.

"Police are still carrying out investigations as to what caused the accident and it is premature for me to say anything about it at this time," Zakaria said.

Some of the approaches to the Cameron Highlands are narrow, windy and treacherous, but Monday's accident occurred when the bus had reached level ground and was travelling along a highway.

Bus crashes are relatively common in Malaysia, often involving interstate routes, and accompanied by revelations that drivers were unlicensed, speeding or under the influence of drugs to keep themselves awake.

Last week, four prison officers were killed when their bus lost control and plunged into a ravine after travelling from a sports tournament.

In October a collision involving two buses, a van and three cars claimed 13 lives on the nation's main North-South highway. Later that month another seven people were killed when their bus overturned en route to Kuala Lumpur.

A year ago, 10 people were killed when a double-decker bus struck a road divider in northern Ipoh state.

In 2007, a bus crash claimed 22 lives in what the transport minister said at the time was the worst accident of its kind in Malaysia's history.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-12-20

[chuang]

Very sad....i always avoid travelling on buses on malaysia highways...everyday you read news about traffic accidents..buses not properly maintained, careless drivers etc etc....

[random]

same shit, different SE Asian country.

Having lived in malaysia I am aware of the number of accidents there, hari raya is similar carnage to the thai fesitivals when people return home. poor driving skills and lack of common sense on the roads leads to these accidents.

it does not say however if the driver was malaysian or thai in this accident.

Edited December 20, 2010 by random

[apollo13]

Terrible news. I found the Malay drivers are usually pretty good, bad weather around Cameron Highlands right now though.

Edited December 20, 2010 by apollo13

[healthcaretaker]

I hope the guidebooks like LP & RG will be more honest in their report on bus travel in Malaysia; instead of promoting with words like "good network of buses" or "among the best road systems in Asia".

The Malaysian road system is among the worst in Asia. Everyday there are many accidents, the minor ones are never reported in the papers and making a police report in Malaysia is a very troublesome affair.

There are also lack of strict control on the vehicles and the drivers.

Recently "professional driver" was found without having a driving licence.

They called themselves "Malaysia Boleh". It means Malaysia Can.

Yes, very true, anything can happen too.

Condolence to families of all the victims.

Hope some Buddhist Society will hold prayesr for them to rest their souls.

[asiawatcher]

I wonder if the bus was on tour from Thailand and that would explain the accident! Thai driver. Sad at any rate - road carnage no matter where it is, is unacceptable.

[roamer]

I wonder if the bus was on tour from Thailand and that would explain the accident! Thai driver. Sad at any rate - road carnage no matter where it is, is unacceptable.

Obviously not spent much time in Malaysia, still the only place in the world where I have seen a truck driver reverse around a roundabout to get to a missed exit rather than go around again made especially impressive by the fact he was using a mobile at the same time.

The main difference between Malays and Thai when it comes to driving is that Malays tend to be just as incompetent but at higher speeds.

And to further blow away your theory the driver was Malaysian.

[george]

Foreign ministry confirms 23 Thais dead in Malaysian bus accident

BANGKOK, Dec 20 - Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday confirmed that at least 23 Thai nationals were killed when their bus crashed on a Malaysian highway in the morning.

The Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur said the double-decker bus carried 34 tourists--33 Thais and one foreign tourist of unknown nationality. Twenty-three were killed in the accident which occurred around 10am.

The foreign ministry said it is awaiting details of the names of the victims and reported that the Consular Department is working on it.

Meanwhile, in the latest development, Agence-France Presse (AFP) reported acting Perak state police chief Zakaria Yusof confirmed that 28 people were killed in Malaysia's worst-ever coach accident.

Among them 25 were Thai tourists and three were Malaysians--the driver, co-driver and a local guide.

Nine Thais survived the accident and are now hospitalised nearby the accident scene, the police chief told AFP.

The bus reportedly hit a road divider and overturned as it departed one of Malaysia's top tourist destinations, the Cameron Highlands, and had reached the foot of the hills.

Mr Yusof said the bus was en route to Kuala Lumpur and that he believed the tourists were to fly to Bangkok from there, adding the investigation is underway to find the cause of the accident. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-12-20

[gemini81]

huh, thai news said 15 thais dead (10 pm news) and suspected to be yaa baa. who knows? what a contrast in info.

[healthcaretaker]

Already 4 major bus accidents in Malaysia within Oct to dec this year.

Anyone can provide any statistic report as to which country has the highest rate of traffic accident death per population ?

Malaysia is sure to rank among the top.

[Phatcharanan]

I wonder if the bus was on tour from Thailand and that would explain the accident!

The main difference between Malays and Thai when it comes to driving is that Malays tend to be just as incompetent but at higher speeds.

Don't you think you should wait for further information on the cause of this terrible accident before condemning all and sundry??

[Phatcharanan]

Already 4 major bus accidents in Malaysia within Oct to dec this year.

Anyone can provide any statistic report as to which country has the highest rate of traffic accident death per population ?

Malaysia is sure to rank among the top.

Nowhere near.

India followed by China.........the USA comes sixth. Malaysia does not even get a mention.

[fxe1200]

Already 4 major bus accidents in Malaysia within Oct to dec this year.

Anyone can provide any statistic report as to which country has the highest rate of traffic accident death per population ?

Malaysia is sure to rank among the top.

Nowhere near.

India followed by China.........the USA comes sixth. Malaysia does not even get a mention.

..the statistics are out of range for Thailand and Malaysia!

[Activo]

I think it did state that the 3 Malaysians were all crew from the bus, including the driver and tour guide.

same shit, different SE Asian country.

Having lived in malaysia I am aware of the number of accidents there, hari raya is similar carnage to the thai fesitivals when people return home. poor driving skills and lack of common sense on the roads leads to these accidents.

it does not say however if the driver was malaysian or thai in this accident.

[webfact]

Thai Air Force to bring home bodies of Thais dead in Malaysian bus disaster

BANGKOK, Dec 21 -- Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Thai Air Force are coordinating the return home of the remains of 27 Thai tourists who died in a bus crash in Malaysia, according to Thai Foreign Ministry's Department of Information deputy permanent secretary Thani Thongpakdi.

The Thai holidaymakers were returning to the capital, Kuala Lumpur, from the Cameron Highlands on Monday when their bus crashed onto a road divider and overturned into a ditch. The incident is being considered the worst bus tragedy in Malaysia's history.

Mr Thani said the latest information indicates that there were 37 passengers, a driver and staff in the coach, 27 of whom died, Twenty-five were Thais and the rest were Malaysians. Ten people were injured, while one was seriously injured and was admitted to Ipoh Hospital, Perak State.

The ministry officials were closely giving assistance, he said, adding that the Malaysian forensic experts were speeding the process to identify the victims.

Mr Thani said the Thai embassy in Malaysia would issue death certificates for the victims before sending their bodies back to Thailand.

The ministry is coordinating with the Thai Air Force to provide an aircraft to bring back the bodies and the injured.

The Malaysian authorities were investigating to determine the cause of the accident, he said.

According to the Malaysian national news agency Bernama, the Malaysian Research Institute on Road Safety (Miros) has been given the responsibility to identify the cause of the accident on the Cameron Highlands-Simpang Pulai Road.

Malaysian Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha was quoted as saying Miros would gather detailed information from the police, Public Works Department (PWD) and the Fire and Rescue Department to get the real picture on how it happened.

Perak Deputy Police Chief Zakaria Yusof said the latest investigation found that San Express Holiday had rented the bus from Syarikat SK Murni Tours & Travel, according to Bernama, and that San Express Holiday organised the tour package. The police would call up the two companies to give information on the ownership of the bus.

The Thai Air Force was preparing a C-130 transport aircraft to pick up the bodies of the Thais and passengers who were injured from the accident. The plane was scheduled to leave at 8 am on Wednesay.

Deputy Director-General of the Department of Consular Affairs Madurapochana Ittarong will lead ministry officials and a medical team to pick up the bodies. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-12-21

[Tanaka]

Already 4 major bus accidents in Malaysia within Oct to dec this year.

Anyone can provide any statistic report as to which country has the highest rate of traffic accident death per population ?

Malaysia is sure to rank among the top.

Nowhere near.

India followed by China.........the USA comes sixth. Malaysia does not even get a mention.

Only because it was not on the subjective list. Chinese statistics are inconclusive. India and Iran are on the summit closely followed by Malaysia. I have not been able to find official statistics for Thailand but inofficially exceeds 60 fatalities per 100.000 inhabitants which would make it very crowded on the top.

[webfact]

Thai military to collect bodies of Malaysia crash victims

KUALA LUMPUR, December 22, 2010 (AFP) - Thailand's air force Wednesday sent two military cargo planes to collect the bodies of the 25 Thai victims of Malaysia's worst ever bus crash, embassy officials said.

First Secretary Suwit Mangkhala said the C-130 aircraft had left Bangkok and would arrive at the Subang military airbase on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital at 1:30 pm (0530 GMT).

"The Thai military have sent two C-130 cargo aircraft and we are expecting the bodies of the 25 victims and some of the survivors to be ferried back on the planes," he told AFP.

"Relatives and friends of some of the dead and the survivors will also be on the flight and they will accompany the bodies on the way back to Thailand," he added.

"We are not sure how many of the survivors will be travelling on the same flight but arrangements have been made for them to do so."

Suwit said Buddhist monks had carried out prayers for the dead Wednesday morning in northern Perak state, where the accident took place. The bodies will be flown to Kuala Lumpur before being transferred for the flight to Bangkok.

The Thai holidaymakers were returning to the capital Kuala Lumpur from the Cameron Highlands on Monday when their double-decker bus lost control near a sharp bend, crashed through a road divider and overturned into a ditch.

Police said the vehicle had been travelling along a winding road after leaving the hilltop resort when the driver lost control. Twenty-seven people were killed including two Malaysians, the driver and a tour guide.

The horrific accident sheared off the bus's roof, and left the bodies of victims strewn across the road.

Road safety experts reportedly said the double-decker bus involved in the accident was unsuitable for uphill travel as it had a higher centre of gravity which made it more unstable than single-decked buses.

"The bus can become unstable when going uphill or when travelling at a higher speed," Wong Shaw Voon, a senior official with the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), which has been tasked with investigating the accident, told the Star newspaper.

"This is especially when drivers negotiate sharp bends," he said, adding that all the passengers had been sitting on the upper deck which could have shifted the vehicle's centre of gravity.

Coach accidents are relatively common in Malaysia, often involving interstate routes and accompanied by revelations that drivers were unlicensed, speeding or under the influence of drugs to keep themselves awake.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-12-22

[sirchai]

same shit, different SE Asian country.

Having lived in malaysia I am aware of the number of accidents there, hari raya is similar carnage to the thai fesitivals when people return home. poor driving skills and lack of common sense on the roads leads to these accidents.

it does not say however if the driver was malaysian or thai in this accident.

Does that matter now? Many innocent people had to die and lots are badly injured and you come up with a statement like that? :jap:

[sydneyjed]

Reguardless of whose to blame whatever..Lump in the throat job and feel deeply for all the families concerned...R.I.P.