NS Hway Bus crash - R.I.P

[Karoon]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_...-08-12-22-27-49

Aug 13, 12:25 AM EDT

 

19 killed in Malaysia bus accident, 2 Indonesians among dead

 

By JULIA ZAPPEI

Associated Press Writer

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- An express bus overturned Monday on Malaysia's main highway, killing at least 19 passengers in one of the worst traffic accidents in the country's history, police and fire officials said.

 

The 10 other people on the bus, including the seriously hurt driver, were hospitalized with various injuries, said a hospital spokesman and a police officer contacted at the scene in Bukit Gantang, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur.

 

"The roof (of the bus) was totally ripped off," said the police officer, who asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

 

Two Indonesians were among the dead, while the others were all Malaysian, said a spokesman for the fire station in the nearby town of Taiping.

 

"From our investigation of the brake marks, the driver was sleeping," said the spokesman, who also declined to be named for the same reason.

 

National news agency Bernama reported that seven of the injured were in serious condition.

 

The accident occurred before dawn on the North-South Expressway, which runs 880 kilometers (550 miles), the entire length of the country from the Thai border in the north to Johor Bahru at the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula.

 

Bernama said the bus, traveling from Johor Bahru to the northern town of Alor Star, was going downhill when it hit the curb and careened 20 meters (yards) off the road before flipping over. It had completed about 650 (405 miles) kilometers of the 830-kilometer (515-mile) journey when the tragedy occurred.

 

Many passengers were flung out of the bus through the exposed roof and others died inside when the sides of the vehicle were crushed on impact, Bernama said, citing police.

 

Some of the bodies could only be extricated after a crane pulled the bus upright, the agency said.

 

Suret Singh, head of the Road Safety Department, said the accident was one of Malaysia's worst.

 

While Malaysia's notoriously bad motorists are often involved in accidents, bus crashes are relatively rare and such serious ones with mass casualties even more infrequent.

 

Malaysia has a high-quality highway system with a speed limit of 110 kilometers (70 miles) per hour. But speeding is common, and many do not follow safety procedures; tailgating occurs frequently, as does failure to signal before changing lanes.

[Ccssgm]

Malaysia Nowaday Alot of Bus Accident.. [shakehead]

[Verve]

one can never be sure but if travelling to msia by coach better to pay a little more to chinese renowned companies like grassland and etc where there is a chance that the driver has more rest.

[Ccssgm]

The Driver also Tired and Insufficent Rest

 

Tat Happened..

[Seaweed]

the bus are going at speed never seen before in the past...i am going at 140...but they can overtake me with ease....i dare not challenge them in my humble 1.6 jap saloon....

[Ccssgm]

Tis Driver Must Be Crazy Liow

 

Inconsiderate Driver..So many Life in his Hand...

[Sony]

and if it's nite buses, it's even faster...

 

those onboard are usually sleeping, thus would not know how fast the coach is travelling.

[Odyssey02]

I've been taking night coaches the last two trips to Malaysia.

 

Those drivers are like the king of the road.

[Drafting88]

In my case, I was awake and was able to notice that the bus was being driven at a constant speed of 160km/h along the NSHW after KL and towards Kedah.

 

That happened in June '05 when it was about 3 a.m. We boarded the bus at Larkin.

[Destiny03]

let me relate one of my stories.

 

i was on my trip to genting after the stopover at yong peng.

it was quite late in the night.

 

after leaving yong peng for a while, we came across a T junction.

it was green light in favour for my bus to move.

but somehow my bus driver didnt move and make a double check.

 

suddenly a truck (Those big chemical carrying trucks) just beat the red light at high speed.

 

i got a shock as i imagine wat will happen if my driver inches out since the green light is in our favour.

[Sony]

and some of the road are pitch dark.

 

Guess I will skip the nite coach if I can.. maybe taking a plane or self drive is better.

[Sony]

you sitting in front, near the driver?

 

I have no idea how fast was mine but for a coach, it's was faster than some cars...

[Sony]

coz such truck cannot e-brake if they are on heavy load..

 

guess your driver know his stuff well

[Destiny03]

yup near the driver

[Passion]

The bus has higher CC and higher gear ratio and also,more gear than car.European bus can easily have up to 7 to 8 gears.

[Typhoonz]

Quite jialat...

[Mzrmazda3]

Si bey jialat man

 

Those whom perished RIP

[Boyboy]

one can never be sure but if travelling to msia by coach better to pay a little more to chinese renowned companies like grassland and etc where there is a chance that the driver has more rest.

 

it's not necessarily the amt u pay. bottom line is they must have backup driver. i thought this was standard for long dist coaches in MY. at least in sarawak when i went touring there, there were one or even 2 backup drivers. but the drive was 8-12 hours long