12 killed in horror crash near NS-Malacca border

[Red 6]

Monday October 11, 2010

12 killed in horror crash near NS-Malacca border

SEREMBAN: Twelve people were killed when a north-bound express bus crashed through the guardrail and ploughed into five vehicles heading in the opposition direction at KM223.2 of the North South Expressway near Simpang Ampat here. Forty-five others were also injured in the 7.45pm accident, which occured near the Negri Sembilan-Malacca border here yesterday.

Witnesses said the express bus crashed into the rear of a car before the driver lost control of his vehicle and rammed through the guardrail and onto the path of an oncoming bus, two cars and a motorcycle. The impact caused the express bus to flip onto its side. The bus driver and motorcyclist were among the casualties. The oncoming bus belonged to the Welfare Department.

Grim scene: Rescue personnel looking for trapped victims in the wreckage near the Simpang Ampat toll plaza at the Negri Sembilan-Malacca border Sunday.

Apparently, out of the 45 injured, four have been rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for treatment, 22 were sent to a hospital in Seremban and 12 to another hospital in Malacca. The express bus had left Malacca about 45 minutes before the accident and was on its way to Kuala Lumpur. The accident caused a traffic jam stretching for more than 25km along the expressway. Of the 12 who died, eight were believed to be passengers from the express bus.

One of them was decapitated. Two others were from a MyVi, which was crushed by the bus, and another from a Honda Accord. PLUS officials had to divert motorists at the Pedas/Linggi toll plaza as the south bound lanes were impassable to traffic. A Plus traffic control centre spokesman said the accident occurred at about 6km from the Simpang Ampat toll near Alor Gajah, Malacca. “The middle and left lanes for the south-bound traffic were blocked by the vehicles involved in the accident while the right lane for the north-bound traffic was closed to facilitate emergency works at the scene,” he added.

Sources said that the department’s bus was carrying delegates for a gathering of former servicemen, which was attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil earlier in the day. “None of them in this bus was injured,” said Malaysia Ex-Servicemen’s Association Datuk Muhammad Abdul Ghani.

 

[Red 6]

‘Bus was going way too fast’, claim passengers


Monday October 11, 2010

‘Bus was going way too fast’, claim passengers

SEREMBAN: The express bus, which crashed into a guardrail and rammed onto the path of oncoming vehicles near the Simpang Ampat toll plaza, was going very fast at the time of the accident. Nurshazwina Nordin, 23, who was onboard the bus, said she was almost flung out of the vehicle due to the impact. “Other motorists who stopped to help us hurried us away from the bus as they were afraid it might explode,” she said, adding that she had been sleeping when the accident took place. Nurshazwina, who was hurt, said she felt the bus was going fast prior to the accident. Another male bus passenger, in his 20s, claimed that the bus was accelerating before the accident.

Emergency aid: Paramedics rushing a victim to the hospital Sunday.

“I thought he was driving fast for an express bus. I can’t say for sure the speed he was driving at but he seemed to be ahead of all the other vehicles,” he said. Another injured passenger Nur Najlaa Aqilah Mohd Ghazali, 19, said a loud bang woke her up. “I felt the bus spinning and before I knew it, we had already crashed through the guardrail and onto the path of oncoming traffic,” she said.

Among the injured was a Japanese tourist, Masatamo Yashade, believed to be a passenger of the ill-fated express bus. Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital director Dr Ja’afar Che Mat said as at 10.30pm, 24 of the injured had been sent to the hospital for treatment. He said 16 of the injured in the hospital were females. “We sent one victim to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital as he suffered from heart ailment.

Three others were taken in for immediate surgery,” he said, adding that nine others were sent to the Malacca Hospital. Dr Ja’afar said the hospital had also sought assistance from personnel at the Port Dickson, Kuala Pilah and Jelebu hospitals. “We needed more ambulances due to the high number of injured,” he said, adding that the first case was brought in at 8.05pm.

In Malacca Hospital, it is believed that out of the 12 injured being treated there, four are in critical condition, including a 42-year-old woman who is a four and half months pregnant. The three others suffered from serious spinal, abdominal and head injuries. It is believed that as at 1.45am, authorities were still trying to identify the bodies, some of which were badly disfigured. The 52-year-old bus driver, from Klebang Besar, is one of those killed.

 

[Sun Ce]

Horror crash : Death toll now 15, some victims identified (Update)


Published: Monday October 11, 2010 MYT 11:41:00 AM
Updated: Monday October 11, 2010 MYT 12:31:59 PM

Horror crash : Death toll now 15, some victims identified (Update)

By MARTIN CARVALHO

MALACCA: The death toll in the horrific Simpang Ampat crash increased to 15, as three more succumbed to their injuries Monday morning. Meanwhile, 11 of the 12 earlier fatalities in the accident along the North South Highway Sunday night were identified Malaysians. The remaining victims were Myanmar nationals. The dead were identified by police with the help of distraught relatives, who began streaming to the Malacca Hospital’s mortuary around 10pm Sunday.

The dead included Nur Shapika Baba, 19, from Pokok Mangga; Muhammad Farizuddin, 19, from Balai Panjang; Sharene Sofea Fadzry Tan, 18, from Taman Semabok Perdana; Norazmi Abdul Karim, 24, from Pondol Kempas; Azizi Ajis, 19, from Kampung Gapis; Ng Sok Kuan, 52, from Sungai Udang; R. Ramachandra , 52, from Klebang Besar, all in Malacca.

The other victims were Pang Sui Moei, 57, from Segamat; Goo Chuan Heng, 34, from Batu Pahat (boht Johor); and Myanmars Kam Khaw Tual, 18, Pau Khaw Tual, 29, and Cin Thawa Tuang, whose age is still unknown. Hospital authorities have assigned a special room for distraught family members to mourn their loss with volunteers from local Buddhist and Muslim organisations at hand to comfort bereaving families.

The 15 were killed when a north-bound express bus crashed through the guardrail and ploughed into five vehicles heading in the opposite direction at KM223.2 of the North South Expressway near Simpang Ampat here on Sunday. Forty-five others were also injured in the 7.45pm accident, which occurred near the Negri Sembilan-Malacca border.

Witnesses said the express bus crashed into the rear of a car before the driver lost control of his vehicle and rammed through the guardrail and onto the path of an oncoming bus, two cars and a motorcycle. The impact caused the express bus to flip onto its side. The bus driver and motorcyclist were among the casualties. The oncoming bus belonged to the Welfare Department.

 

[General Veers]

Public demands explanation over senseless deaths


Tuesday October 12, 2010

Public demands explanation over senseless deaths

Tragic loss: Relatives consoling the grieving family members of Muhammad Farizuddin Talib, 19 (inset), who was killed in a crash along the North-South Expressway at the Malacca Hospital’s mortuary on Sunday night. — A. MALEX YAHAYA / The Star

MALACCA: Most of them were young and had their whole lives ahead of them. They had boarded the ill-fated express bus on route to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday full of plans - many were students, one had just graduated, another was a teenager travelling for the first time by herself, all ready to visit friends while some others were young parents. They never reached their destination.

They were among the 12 people whose lives were sadly cut short in a horrific crash involving an express bus, travelling from Malacca to the capital, which hit the guardrail and ploughed into five vehicles heading in the opposite direction of the North-South Expressway near Simpang Ampat in Seremban. As their families mourned their senseless deaths, the rest of Malaysia want to know what went wrong.

 

[Sun Ce]

First bus trip is her last


Tuesday October 12, 2010

First bus trip is her last

Sharene Sofea Fadzry Tan, 18

MALACCA: Technician Fadzry Tan Abdullah never allowed his 18-year-old daughter to take the bus for long journeys as he was worried about her safety. He, however, finally yielded to Sharene Sofea Fadzry Tan’s pleading to visit her friends in Kuala Lumpur. It turned out to be an ill-fated trip as the teenager had boarded the express bus which was involved in the gruesome crash on Sunday.

Fadzry, 45, was grief-stricken at the Malacca Hospital mortuary. “I had always turned down her requests to travel long distances by express bus. There had been previous accidents involving express buses and I didn’t want her to take that chance,” he said. “However, she asked my permission to visit her friends in Kuala Lumpur and I allowed her to take the bus this time.”

He had hoped that she would be fine until he received a telephone call from a friend at 9pm, telling him about the accident. Family members of Pang Shi Moei, 57, from Segamat, Johor were also devastated when they came to claim her body yesterday. Lam Swee Weng, 46, said his sister-in-law was travelling back to Segamat with her husband and youngest son in their Perodua Myvi after visiting her daughter in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend.

“They were happy and excited about the trip as they were looking forward to spending time with her,” he said, saying that the daughter got to know about the heartbreaking news from the police. The car the family was travelling in was crushed underneath the express bus. Pang’s 57-year-old husband suffered serious injuries and was admitted to the Seremban Hospital while their 20-year-old son had minor injuries.

The dead

Nur Shapika Baba, 19

Muhammad Farizuddin Talib, 19

Sharene Sofea Fadzry Tan, 18

Norazmi Abdul Karim, 24

Azizi Ajis, 20

Ng Sok Kuan, 52

R. Ramachandra, 52

Pang Shi Moei, 57

Goo Chuan Heng, 34

Kam Khaw Tual, 19

Pau Khan Tual, 21

Cin Thawn Tuang, 21

 

[Sun Ce]

Survivors and families recount horror


Tuesday October 12, 2010

Survivors and families recount horror

SEREMBAN: Dinner was getting cold when businessman Goo Chuan Aik received a call on Sunday evening. He had assumed the call was from his two siblings telling him they would soon be home in Batu Pahat from their daily trip to Kajang. Instead, he was told younger brother Chuan Heng would never come home for dinner again – he was dead. Chuan Heng died on the spot in the accident along the North-South Expressway involving an express bus and five other vehicles.

Painful sight: Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (right) and hospital director Dr Jaafar Che Mat visiting an injured victim in the ICU at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital in Seremban yesterday.

Also in the Toyota Hiace van with him was elder sister Ai Hwa, 41, who escaped the brush with death. “It was just a regular trip. No one was supposed to die. “His wife is too distraught to speak and his two children are only three and six years old. “How can we tell them that their father is dead?” asked Chuan Aik.

There are ten siblings in the family. Another brother Chuan Seng had rushed to the scene of the accident but Chuan Heng was already dead by then. Chuan Seng, his T-shirt and shorts drenched in blood, was later seen at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital (TJH) desperately looking for his siblings and crying out that he could not find them.

Chuan Aik, who claimed his brother’s remains from the Malacca Hospital yesterday morning, said the family would be holding a wake for Chuan Heng in Batu Pahat. He added that his sister Ai Hwa, who had been discharged from the same hospital, was still recovering from shock. At the TJH here, 18-year-old Tew Chi Ling was thankful to be alive but upset that so many lives were lost.

Tew was on her way back to Kuala Lumpur after spending the weekend with her family in Malacca. One minute the college student was enjoying music on her MP4 player, the next her world turned upside down. “There were cries and screams everywhere. “My friend Tai Hui Tieng and I managed to crawl out of the bus through a window,” she said.

Another college student, 20-year-old Nursyafarin Razak from Shah Alam, was asleep but woke up when she felt the bus shaking violently – with many passengers shouting in fear and scrambling to get out. Another passenger, Tay, 27, claimed the bus was in the middle lane of the highway when the driver tried to move to the fast lane.

“The next thing I knew, we had hit the guardrail and crashed into traffic going in the opposite direction,” said the administration officer. Tay sustained a deep gash on her head which required 20 stitches. Of the 23 people injured in the accident admitted to TJH on Sunday, six had been discharged, and of the remaining, all but three were in stable condition.

 

[Red 3]

Woman learns of brother’s death via Facebook


Tuesday October 12, 2010

Woman learns of brother’s death via Facebook

Norazmi Abdul Karim, 24

MALACCA: Norhafiza Abdul Karim had logged into her Facebook account late Sunday to check out what her friends were up to. The 28-year-old read a posting about the horrific crash on the North-South Expressway and subsequently found out that her brother was among the 12 who perished. “I went into my Facebook account at midnight and read the posting on the accident.

I was shocked and couldn’t believe it when I later found out that it was the bus my brother was travelling in,” she said yesterday. Norhafiza, from Pondok Kempas, Selandar, said her brother Norazmi, 24, was to have received his scroll at his convocation on Friday after graduating from the Sultan Idris Teachers Training University in Perak recently.

The family rushed to the hospital immediately and was told that Norazmi was among those who died. She said her brother had come home for a short break and was headed back to the capital where he worked as a replacement art teacher at a school in Damansara. “He was a quiet person but was talkative and excited last week,” she said.

 

[Sun Ce]

Bus’ braking and steering system to be looked into


Tuesday October 12, 2010

Bus’ braking and steering system to be looked into

TAMPIN: The authorities are looking into the steering and braking system of the express bus which crashed along the North-South Expressway and took 12 lives. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said his officers would be thorough in their probe. “We want to know what caused the accident that resulted in so many lives being lost,” he said. The bus bearing the number plate WQM 7333 was registered under KL Melaka Ekspress Sdn Bhd.

Nur Shapika Baba, 19

Eye witnesses and survivors said the bus, which was travelling along the middle lane of the north-bound stretch had suddenly swerved to the right and that the driver had tried to apply the emergency brakes. Checks at the accident scene also showed 20m skid marks. Some passengers claim the bus driver was also speeding prior to the accident.

Kong said the Delima Ekspres bus was in good condition. The three-year-old bus had undergone Puspakom checks in May and was due for another inspection at the end of November. He said the 52-year-old driver, R. Ramachandra, as well as the bus did not have any summonses. The driver was killed in the accident. “The bus seems to be in fairly good condition.

“It is quite new ... even the tyres were good,” he told reporters after visiting the accident scene. Among the passengers who perished in the accident were: Norazmi Abd Karim 24, Nur Shapika Baba, 19, Ng Sok Kuan 52 (all from Malacca) and Myanmar nationals Cin Thawa Tuang 21, Pau Khan Tual, 21, and Kam Khaw Tual, 19. The bus company could not be reached for comment.

 

[Sun Ce]

Strength of guardrail suspect, says association


Tuesday October 12, 2010

Strength of guardrail suspect, says association

PETALING JAYA: Bus driver R. Ramachandra (pic) who died in Sunday’s horrific bus crash should not be blamed solely for the accident, said Pan-Malaysia Bus Ope_rators’ Association president Datuk Ashfar Ali. He said it was easy to scapegoat the 52-year-old Ekspres Delima bus driver.

Ramachandra was killed after the bus he was driving crashed through a guardrail and ploughed into five other vehicles travelling in the opposite direction along the North-South Expressway near Simpang Ampat. “The real issue is the strength of the guardrail. It was not strong enough to stop the bus from crashing into the other side of the highway.

This is very similar to the Bukit Gantang accident three years ago,” said Ashfar yesterday. He was referring to the 2007 accident where an express bus with 29 people on board crashed through a guardrail by the side of the NSE and plunged into a ditch five metres below, killing 22 people. Ashfar added that express bus passengers had a role to play in ensuring their own safety.

“If a bus driver is driving too fast, passengers should remind him to slow down because their lives are at stake,” he said. However, he assured the public not to worry about travelling by bus. “Based on Road Safety Department statistics, express buses are among the safest modes of transportation. Ashfar said Delima Ekspres Sdn Bhd had been plying the Kuala Lumpur-Malacca route for more than 10 years.

Meanwhile, police said that Ramachandra had a clean traffic record. “Initial investigations reveal that he and the bus had no summonses,” said federal traffic chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Abdul Aziz Yusof . “We are in the midst of interviewing witnesses and victims to get a better picture of what actually happened,” he added.

 

[Sun Ce]

Blame game all over again


Tuesday October 12, 2010

Blame game all over again

SEREMBAN: Twelve lives lost. And once again, the blame game has begun as people try to figure out what went wrong. Was it a killer stretch? Should buses have stronger frames? Did the driver speed? Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan observed that the roofs of buses involved in accidents would always come off or were easily damaged whenever they flipped over.

“It is the manufacturer’s responsibility to build stronger and safer buses to ensure that passengers will not suffer serious injuries if there is an accident,” he said. He said bus manufacturers must ensure that the frames of the vehicles they build could withstand any impact from a collision. Mohamad also said that drivers of large vehicles like buses and trailers must adhere to all regulations while on the road.

“I have experienced times where express bus drivers overtook my car on the highway. “Some of these drivers are reckless and have no concern for their safety and that of their pasengers. “They forget that a large vehicle is difficult to manoeuvre, especially when travelling at high speed,” saidMohamad, who visited some of the injured at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital here.

“Initial reports that I received have pinpointed that the accident was due to human error,” he said. In Tampin, PLUS Expressways Bhd said that the site of the tragedy near Simpang Ampat was not an accident-prone area. In fact, this was the first accident along the stretch this year. PLUS Expressways managing director Noorizah Abd Hamid said only one minor accident was reported along the same stretch last year.

“There were no accidents there in 2008. We have no clue on what caused the accident,” she said. Road Safety Department director-general Datuk Suret Singh said there should be a joint investigation to determine the cause of the accident. Among those that should be involved were the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety, Puspakom, the police and the Road Transport Department.

The mangled vehicles were taken to the Rembau district police station. Meanwhile, Facebook users have made various suggestions on ways to penalise speedsters. Julian Ramesh said that most bus and lorry drivers got away with small fines when they were caught speeding. He urged the authorities to re-evaluate the speed limit for heavy vehicles and suggested a higher fine or even revocation of licences.

Patrick Yau said bus drivers tend to speed because they wanted to make more trips to make end meets. “Giving ‘tips’ to drivers after a successful and smooth drive could motivate the driver and help supplement his income,” Yau said. In George Town, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) said that the authorities must investigate claims by some of the passengers that the express bus had been travelling at high speed prior to the crash.

CAP president S.M. Idris said talks on public road safety would be meaningless if enforcement was slack and policies on road safety were not implemented. “What happened to speed-limiting devices on express buses; the automated enforcement system and the proper management of commercial vehicle drivers?” he asked. Tour and express bus operators have to install a device which records the bus speed if drivers exceed 90kph, a requirement that came into force in 2001.

 

[Sun Ce]

Relatives break down when told of deaths


Tuesday October 12, 2010

Relatives break down when told of deaths

MALACCA: The anxiety of many frantic relatives who packed the Malacca Hospital for information about their loved ones turned into wails of grief as they were gently informed to make their way to the morgue. The family members had rushed to the emergency unit of the hospital as early as 8pm, hoping their loved ones survived the bus crash tragedy on Sunday evening along the North-South Expressway in Simpang Ampat. Police and hospital personnel were on hand to assist the distraught families.

A special waiting room was opened for the relatives. By 10pm, most of the injured were warded while the bodies of the 12 victims were sent to the mortuary. Matters were compounded further when only six of the dead were identified by the police through their MyKad and other documents. The faces of several were beyond recognition. Malacca Governor Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob, accompanied by state leaders, rushed to the hospital to meet survivors and the victims’ families.

He was hosting a dinner in conjunction with his 72nd birthday celebration on Saturday. By 10.30pm, wails pierced the tense atmosphere when families of the dead were called into the morgue to identify the remains of their loved ones. Several collapsed after the identification process. Another room was assigned for bereaved families to mourn with several volunteers from the Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation and Malacca Islamic Religious Department.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, who was at the hospital until 4.30am, called on the relevant authorities to address the issue over the safety of express buses. He said the state would disburse RM1,000 to each family of the deceased and those who suffered serious injuries, and RM500 to those with minor injuries.

 

[Red 3]

Horror crash: Bus towed to police station as probe begins


Published: Tuesday October 12, 2010 MYT 9:41:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday October 12, 2010 MYT 9:57:01 PM

Horror crash: Bus towed to police station as probe begins

SEREMBAN: The ill-fated Delima Express bus, which was involved in a crash that killed 12 people at KM223 of the North-South Expressway near the Simpang Ampat toll plaza on Sunday, has been towed to the Rembau police station for investigations. Rembau police chief DSP Mizan Md Dom said the investigation process on the bus that was carrying 34 passengers would involve the police, Road Transport Department (JPJ), Road Safety Department (JKJR) and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).

"Police will also carry out investigations to determine if the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs," he said when contacted Tuesday. Mizan said the bodies of three Myanmar nationals - Pau Khan Tual, 21, Cin Thawa Tuang, 21, and Kam Khaw Tual, 19 - who perished in the accident were claimed Tuesday by the Myanmar Embassy from the Malacca Hospital. "Only three of the 12 bodies have yet to be claimed by their families," he said. Meanwhile, the owners of the bus, Kuala Lumpur Melaka Express Sdn Bhd, offered RM1,000 each to families of the deceased and RM500 to the injured passengers.

The company's general manager Vincent Mah said families of the victims can contact 06-3371663 or 016-6621333. He added that the driver of the bus, R. Ramachandra, 52, who was killed in the accident, started working with the company in January 2007, and had no disciplinary problems. In Kuala Lumpur, the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board said it would not temporarily suspend the services of the bus company. However, its director Datin Naimah Ramli said the decision whether to suspend or cancel the company's permit would only be known after a special meeting was held.

"The meeting with the enforcement and technical agencies like the police, Miros, JPJ and Puspakom will be held soon. "At the meeting, the investigation report will be tabled before a unanimous decision is made whether to take action against the bus company or otherwise," she said. Naimah said the board visited the express bus company's office in Malacca on Tuesday and carried out the auditing procedure and inspection on the company's operations and looked at safety precautions for the passengers.

On Monday, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said initial investigations had revealed that the bus, in service since 2007, had undergone periodical inspections by Puspakom, the last of which was done in May, while the tyres were still in good condition. Federal Traffic Police chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Yusof said the records showed that the bus company and the driver were clean and had never been involved in any serious accident before this. - Bernama

 

[tankuku]

Horror crash: All but six injured discharged from hospital


Published: Tuesday October 12, 2010 MYT 5:29:00 PM

Horror crash: All but six injured discharged from hospital

By CHITRA S. NATHAN

SEREMBAN: All but six injured victims of the Simpang Ampat express bus crash have been discharged from the Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital (TJH) here. Hospital director Dr. Jaafar Che Mat said 10 patients were discharged Tuesday while the rest were still being treated at the hospital. "We have a patient each in our intensive care and high dependency units who are in critical but stable condition. "The rest are still under observation in normal wards and will be discharged soon," he said when contacted Tuesday.

On Sunday, 23 people rescued from the crash site along KM223.2 of the North-South Expressway near Simpang Ampat were sent to the hospital for treatment. One victim who suffered from a vascular injury was referred to Kuala Lumpur Hospital while the rest were treated at the TJH. Six were discharged on Monday morning. Dr. Jaafar said both patients in critical care were showing progress and responding positively to treatment.

"They are showing signs of recovery but it is still too early for us to say when they can be transferred to the normal ward. "The two patients are Lam Fong Weng, 59, from Segamat, Johor and Kok Sue San, 24 from Selangor," he said. Twelve people died in the accident, when an express bus travelling from Malacca to Kuala Lumpur crashed through a guard rail and ploughed into five vehicles.

 

[General Veers]

He may never again play the game he loves


Wednesday October 13, 2010

He may never again play the game he loves

MALACCA: His passion is basketball and Tan Giin Rong played for his former school SMK Gajah Berang before continuing his love for the game as a player for Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman where he studies. Now, all the 18-year-old can hope for is to sit upright after becoming paralysed from the waist down due to a serious spinal injury suffered during the horrific bus crash along the North-South Expressway that killed 12 people. Tan, who started his mechanical engineering course five months ago, was transferred from the Malacca Hospital yesterday afternoon to undergo surgery at the Mahkota Medical Centre here scheduled for today.

Shattered hope: Tan Giin Rong, 18, a University Tunku Abdul Rahman engineering undergraduate and basketball player, suffered spinal injuries that left him paralysed.

Despite being aware of her son’s predicament, his mother, Yong Siew Yen, 45, remains hopeful that the surgery would at least give her son some mobility to his lower back. “I was told he will never be able to use his legs again and that the surgery would at least allow him to sit upright,” said the pharmaceutical product promoter. “I hope that the surgery will be successful so that he will not be totally bedridden for the rest of his life.”

Tan was rushed to the Malacca Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) and was deemed stable to undergo the surgery by doctors. Yong described Tan as a filial son who would bring his friends to meet the family during his fortnightly trip home at Taman Merdeka Jaya in Batu Berendam, and said Tan’s siblings were equally devastated by the news. A former classmate Ian Choo, 18, said that Tan is a jovial and active person who loves playing basketball. “He was very active in school and even represented our school in the basketball team.

“He continued to play even after enrolling in TAR college and succeeded in making the college basketball team recently,” he said after visiting a still-unconscious Tan at the private medical centre yesterday. Testimony of Tan’s friendly personality is evident from the hundreds of messages posted on his Facebook wall wishing him a speedy recovery. Furniture shop staff Lee Han Wei, 28, whose left arm was amputated due to the accident, said the most important thing for him was to be alive.

Severe injury: Lee Han Wei, 28, whose left arm was amputated after the fatal accident at North-South Highway near Pedas, Negri Sembilan on Sunday, recovering at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

“This was my fourth accident in the past 10 years. I escaped everytime,” he said, adding that he chose to face his predicament with an optimistic attitude. The men seated beside and behind him both died in the crash, he said. However, Lee, who had just finished talking to his girlfriend on his handphone when the accident occurred, said he would not be travelling on express buses anymore. “Within two seconds, my left arm was crushed under the window and I couldn’t move,” he said, adding that firemen helped him out of the bus 30 minutes later.

 

[Cao Pi]

Crash victim may never walk again


Friday October 15, 2010

Crash victim may never walk again

PETALING JAYA: The hopes of Tan Tian Ser, the father of Tan Giin Rong who is semi-paralysed following a bus crash, were dashed when doctors told him that his son stands a very slim chance of walking even after surgery. “All I am hoping for right now is for my son to be able to at least sit in a wheelchair,” said Tan. He also said that the surgery is scheduled for 1pm today at Universiti Hospital. Giin Rong, a student at Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman, suffered injuries to his spinal column when he was involved in the horrific bus crash along the North-South Expressway on Sunday that killed 12 people.

 

[yellow people]

Death toll from horrific bus crash rises to 13


Published: Friday October 15, 2010 MYT 12:00:00 PM
Updated: Friday October 15, 2010 MYT 1:52:38 PM

Death toll from horrific bus crash rises to 13

BY MARTIN CARVALHO

MALACCA: A woman who suffered head injuries in the horrific bus crash along the North South Expressway near Linggi last Sunday has died, bringing the death toll to 13. Sharifah Nor Asmira Syed Sallehudin, 21, succumbed to head injuries at the Malacca Hospital's intensive care unit at 12.05am on Friday. The remains of Sharifah, a language student at an institute in Kuala Lumpur, had been sent to her home in Kampung Padang Marang in Terengganu at 3am.

 

[Cao Pi]

13th bus crash victim dies


Saturday October 16, 2010

13th bus crash victim dies

By MARTIN CARVALHO, CHITRA S. NATHAN and ALLISON LAI
[email protected]

MALACCA: A woman who suffered head injuries in the horrific bus crash along the North-South Expressway near Linggi last Sunday has died, bringing the death toll to 13. Sharifah Nor Asmira Syed Sallehuddin, 21, from Kampung Padang Marang, Terengganu succumbed to her injuries at the Malacca Hospital’s intensive care unit at 12.05am yesterday. Sharifah was a language student at the Institute of Teacher Education in Kuala Lumpur. Her body was sent home at 3am for burial. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam who confirmed her death said the state would extend RM1,000 in aid to her family.

Insurance payment: Yaakub presenting the Socso compensation to Jayarani yesterday. With them are state Socso director Zainol Abu (left), Klebang state assemblyman Datuk Seet Har Cheow (centre) and Jayarani’s daughter R. Padmah.

In Seremban, Lam Fong Weng, 59, who sustained head injuries was still fighting for his life at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital intensive care unit. Hospital director Dr Ja’afar Che Mat said Lam’s condition was stable but it was too soon to say if he would recover from his injuries. Lam’s wife Pang Shi Moei, 57, was killed in the accident.

His 20-year-old son Choon Jiat who was also injured in the accident was discharged on Tuesday. Dr Ja’afar said another patient, Kok Sue San, 24, who was first placed in the high dependency unit, had been transferred to a normal ward. “Kok suffered abdominal injuries in the crash and is now recovering,” he said, adding that only five victims including Lam were in hospital.

In another development, M. Jayarani, the wife of the 52-year-old driver of the Delima express bus involved in the crash, wants investigations into the accident to be expedited to clear her dead husband’s name. The 47-year-old widow said there were allegations that her husband, R. Ramachandra, was drunk or high on drugs. “It is very upsetting to hear such remarks. There are even those who said he owed money to loan sharks.

“My daughter who is studying in a local university had even received calls from friends asking whether the rumours were true,” she said at her home in Kampung Tengah, Klebang Besar, Malacca yesterday. Ramachandra was killed on the spot. Initial investigations revealed that the three-year-old bus was in good condition. Earlier, State Welfare and Education Committee chairman Datuk Yaakub Md Amin presented the family Socso compensation of RM1,144.50.

 

[Sauron]

Crash victim stands a chance to walk again


Monday October 18, 2010

Crash victim stands a chance to walk again

By REENA NATHAN
[email protected]

PETALING JAYA: After intensive surgery on his spine, there is a glimmer of hope for Tan Giin Rong and his family. Doctors at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre said the 18-year-old Tunku Abdul Rahman College student has a chance now to walk again. Giin Rong suffered injuries to his spinal column when he was involved in the horrific bus crash along the North-South Expressway last week that took 13 lives.

He became semi-paralysed and doctors initially told the family that the lad stood a slim chance of walking after surgery. He underwent surgery last Friday at the hospital and is now able to sit on a wheelchair. Doctors said he would have to undergo intensive rehabilitation, which is scheduled to begin today, before he can walk again.

“The main concern was to save his life,” said Assoc Prof Dr Kwan Mun Keong, the spine surgeon who led the surgical team. “The operation was deemed a success because the surgery team was able to stabilise Giin Rong’s spine to prevent further injuries and complications.” Dr Kwan said the surgery first involved a fracture dislocation. Giin Rong’s spine was realigned to its normal position through a posterior surgery and fixed with an implant.

A trauma team led by Dr C.S. Kumar then addressed a fracture to his collar bone, which was successfully fixed with a plate. Surgery was also carried out on his spinal cord to allow the nerve to recover. Dr Kwan, however, said despite the successful decompression surgery on Giin Rong’s spinal cord, the boy had only a 5% chance of standing and walking with aid.

“He still stands a chance of walking again, but this would very much depend on him,” the surgeon said. The patient’s elated father, Tan Tien Ser, 48, thanked Dr Kwan and the team of doctors who helped his son. “I am very lucky. My son is very lucky. Our prayers have been answered. This is a miracle,” he said. “I was very worried previously but today I am happy,” said Tan.