KLUANG, Johor: Five people, including a two-year-old child, lost their lives while eight others were injured in a tragic four-vehicle collision at Kilometre 58.1 of the North-South Expressway (PLUS) southbound here at 11.30 last night.
Kluang police chief ACP Bahrin Mohd Noh said the accident involved a Volvo lorry, a Toyota Camry, a Proton X50, and a Honda Stepwagon Spada.
Preliminary investigations found that the accident occurred when the front tyre of a northbound lorry, travelling from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur, burst, causing the driver to lose control and collide with a Toyota Camry in the same lane.
“As a result of the impact, the lorry skidded into the opposite lane and crashed into two oncoming vehicles, a Proton X50 and a Honda Stepwagon Spada,” he said.
“The impact caused the Honda Stepwagon Spada to catch fire, but all occupants were successfully rescued by members of the public at the scene,” he said in a statement today.
Bahrin said that the victims who died at the scene were the driver and passenger of the Proton X50, identified as Iklil Nuraudah Muhammad Redzaa, 23, and an unidentified man in his 20s, both of whom died at the scene.
“The fatality in the Honda Stepwagon Spada was a two-year-old girl, Mariam Nasaarudin, who died at the scene.
“Meanwhile, the girl’s parents, Nasaarudin Pardi, 36, and Siti Khazira Bani, 35, who were the driver and front passenger, succumbed to their injuries while being transported to the hospital.
“Eight other individuals injured in the accident were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
“All victims were taken to Enche Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital in Kluang, and another hospital in Kulai,” he said.
He said that the 35-year-old lorry driver was arrested in connection with the fatal accident.
Meanwhile, Renggam Fire and Rescue Station operations commander Shoromi Salih, in a statement, said that his team received an emergency call at 11.48 pm, and 13 personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene.
“This operation involved an LFRT, an FRT and an EMRS to extinguish the fire and extricate a victim, who was confirmed dead and trapped inside a vehicle,” he said, adding that the operation concluded at 1.24 am. – BERNAMA
