Thai Tour Bus Overturned In Malaysia

[Jai Dee]

Thai tour bus overturned in Malaysia

A tour bus carrying Thai passengers overturned yesterday in Genting Highlands in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday (Nov 19). The accident caused three fatalities and 44 injuries.

One of the surviving victims, Mr. Humdee Hayee Saesalae (ฮัมดี ฮายี แซสาและ), 32, said the bus overturned when it was departing from Genting Highlands and running downhill.

However, the driver was driving at a high speed but then abruptly trying to decelerate the bus.

Consequently, the vehicle crashed into the hill and knocked over.

Injured passengers were sent to nearby hospitals.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 November 2006

[Jai Dee]

Three Die, 44 Injured As Thai Double-decker Tour Bus Overturns

BATANG KALI, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- Three people were killed and 44 others injured, 15 of them seriously, when a double-decker tour bus with employees of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) of Thailand crashed into a hillslope and overturned at Km 13 of Jalan Genting-Batang Kali.

One of the dead was PEA managing director Decha Nilmanee, 59, who died as he was being rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL).

The other two were Nong Nuch Pochana, 45, a woman who died on the spot, and Chanadech Kaukew, 27, who succumbed to his injuries while on the way to the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital (KKKB).

Fifteen other passengers, who suffered serious injuries, were rushed to the Pantai Hospital in Kuala Lumpur. The others, who sustained slight injuries, were given out-patient treatment and accommodated at the Seri Pacific Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Two Malaysians, who are employees of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) in Ipoh and were travelling in the bus, were also slightly injured in the 10 am accident.

The accident occurred apparently after the brakes of the bus failed as it was returning to southern Thailand with 45 PEA employees and two drivers who had spent the weekend at Genting Highlands.

One of the passengers, Zubaidas Siri Wanno, 28, said at the HKKB that she believed the brakes failed and the bus hit the hillslope, skidded and overturned.

"I was seated in the middle of the bus. Those who suffered serious injuries were among the ones seated near the door," she said.

Zubaidas, who was slightly injured, said the group had arrived in Kuala Lumpur yesterday morning and had spent the night at Genting Highlands.

Another passenger, Hamdee Hayee Saesalae, 32, said he was seated on the upper deck and he felt the bus descending the hill too fast.

"The driver did apply the brakes but failed to slow down the bus, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. It crashed into the hillslope and overturned," he said.

Hamdee, who injured his nose, said he was shocked by the experience as it was his first despite having come to Malaysia several times.

Meanwhile, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) Ipoh Regional Manager Aminnuddin Ab Wahab, who visited the passengers warded at HKKB, said the accident came as a shock to him because it was only last Friday that he had met the group when they visited the Ipoh TNB.

"They had arrived in Malaysia last Friday and paid a courtesy call at the Ipoh TNB before going to Kuala Lumpur," he added.

Source: Bernama - 20 November 2006

[Jai Dee]

Technician tailed bus before accident

KUALA KUBU BARU: Nothing could have prepared Tenaga Nasional technician P. Gunalan for the tragedy he witnessed.

Gunalan, 52, was driving behind the luxury bus that was carrying 45 Thai passengers from the Thailand Provincial Electricity Authority (TPEA) that skidded and landed on its side at Kilometre 12 of the Gohtong Jaya–Batang Kali Road yesterday morning.

The passengers, mainly TPEA engineers, were on an official visit to TNB Ipoh and had gone to Genting Highlands on Saturday night.

“I had just lost sight of the bus for a moment as we entered a sharp corner and the next thing I knew, it had skidded and crashed into an embankment.

“I was travelling with two TPEA officers and we were horrified at what we saw,” said Gunalan.

Regaining his composure, he and the two Thais immediately went to the bus and managed to rescue three victims, who appeared to be in serious condition.

“I then drove the three injured Thais to a private clinic in Gohtong Jaya before rushing back here to see how the others were doing. I don’t know about their current condition,” he said, when met at the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital.

TNB Ipoh area manager Aminnuddin Abdul Wahab, who had hosted the Thai engineers’ training, rushed to the hospital on hearing the news.

Source: Malaysian Star - 20 November 2006

[Jai Dee]

Three killed and 13 injured in bus crash

KUALA KUBU BARU: Three Thailand Provincial Electricity Authority (TPEA) employees were killed and 13 seriously injured, when their double-decker luxury bus skidded and crashed into a hillslope before landing on its side at the 12th kilometre of the Gohtong Jaya-Batang Kali road here.

They were among the 45 TPEA personnel members who were in Malaysia for training at the Tenaga Nasional (TNB) offices in Ipoh and Putrajaya.

Eighteen other TPEA staff members suffered various injuries while 11 escaped unhurt. The Thai bus driver and co-driver were also unhurt in the 10.20am incident yesterday.

The Thais had arrived in Genting Highlands on Saturday night after meeting TNB officials in Ipoh and Putrajaya.

CRASH SCENE: Some of the crash victims lying by the side of the Gohtong Jaya-Batang Kali road in Kuala Kubu Baru yesterday while rescuers work at the accident site.

Among the dead were TPEA managing director Decha Nilmanee, 59, who died on the way to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital from the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital.

The other two dead were identified as accountant Nongnuch Pochana, 45, and engineer Chanadat Karkaew, 27.

Nongnuch, a mother of two children, was killed on the spot while Chanadat died on the way to the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital.

The bus had left Genting Highlands at about 10am on its way back to Haadyai. Barely 20 minutes later, the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a sharp corner.

The driver, who did not want to reveal his name, said he stepped hard on the brakes but the bus did not slow down.

“I tried to control the bus. But everything happened so fast – the bus hit the side of the hill before landing on its side,” he said in a choking voice when met at the scene of the accident.

Three fire engines with 18 men from the Genting Highlands, Bentong and Kuala Kubu Baru fire stations arrived at the scene within minutes after receiving a distress call at 10.25am.

The firemen, with the help of several TNB personnel members, managed to pull out the passengers after breaking the windscreen of the bus.

They injured were rushed to hospitals in Kuala Kubu Baru and Selayang in several ambulances.

The accident caused a 2km traffic jam on both sides of the road. A crane was used to put the bus back on its wheels at 2pm.

According to police, the bus driver and his co-driver have yet to lodge a police report on the accident.

Source: Malaysian Star - 20 November 2006

[Jai Dee]

Foreign Affairs Ministry to coordinate w/ Malaysia to let Thai injured passengers to return home

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is rapidly coordinating with the Malaysian authority to return the 45 Provincial Electricity Authority employees back to Thailand, following the tour bus accident in Malaysia yesterday (Nov 19).

Mr. Kitti Wasinond, the Director-General of the Information Department under the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said the overturned tour bus was loaded with 45 Thai passengers, and three Thais died from the accident. They are identified as Mr. Decha Nilmanee, Mrs. Nongnuch Potchana, and Mr. Thanadej Khaokeaw. 12 injured Thai people are now being hospitalized in Pan Tai Medical Center and Selayang Hospital, Kuala Lumpur.

Mr. Paskorn Siriyaphan, the Thai Ambassador to Malaysia, is now looking after the injured Thai people, and has coordinated with the Immigration Bureau so that they can return to Thailand as soon as possible. At the moment, some of them have returned home.

Mr. Kitti said the Provincial Electricity Authority in Malaysia is responsible in paying for the hospital fees of the injured victims.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 November 2006

[Jai Dee]

Update:

Thai driver pleads guilty to careless driving

KUALA KUBU BARU: The driver of a double-decker bus which was involved in the fatal Genting Highlands-Batang Kali road accident last month was charged with careless driving.

Anithep Duangrueang, 22, of Amper Songkhla, Thailand, pleaded guilty at the magistrate’s court yesterday to driving carelessly and causing an accident at Km13, Jalan Batang Kali-Genting Highlands at 10.20am on Nov 19.

The charge was read in Thai by Constable A. Assradorn, who is with the of Royal Malaysian Police.

Magistrate Aminuddin Mustaffa set bail at RM5,000 in two local sureties pending sentencing on Jan 17.

He also ordered Anithep to surrender his passport.

The offence carries a maximum fine of RM10,000 or jail up to one year.

Chief Inspector Syamsul Bahrin Ahmad prosecuted.

Anithep, who was unrepresented, was accompanied by his employer to the court.

It was reported that in the incident, three Thais died and 31 others were injured.

The Thai-registered bus was carrying 45 employees of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) of Thailand. They were returning to Kuala Lumpur after an overnight stay in Genting Highlands.

They were on a three-day working visit in collaboration with Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

Source: New Straits Times - 28 December 2006

[pumpuiman]

Sad...my condolences to the affected families.

[astral]

This just shows the dangers of going to another country to gamble.

Ghenting is the big casino operation in the hills above KL.

[Tony Clifton]

Another Thai bus driver keeps the old faithful "minimum of one fatal bus accident a week".

Why do they always feel they have to drive like they have to impress passengers with their "skills" which are mostly suicidal or at the same level as a macaque on cocaine, thinking that surrounding drivers and pedestrians are in awe at him driving such a large vehicle? It's not the space shuttle on reentry, it's just a <deleted>' bus, just like the other million other buses riding around Thailand, they only differ in the amount of lugnuts that are left on the wheels.

You have to like the following comment from one of the injured :

Hamdee, who injured his nose, said he was shocked by the experience as it was his first despite having come to Malaysia several times. It's Malaysia's fault, not the Thai bus driver's!