
Gerik crash: Initial probe reveals bus hit MPV's rear
The police's initial investigations have revealed that the fatal bus accident, which claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (Upsi) students, occurred when the bus hit the rear of the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), believed to be a Perodua Alza, before overturning.
Perak police chief Noor Hisam Nordin said the bus was carrying 42 Upsi students, eight men and 32 women, aged between 21 and 23, all from the east coast.

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New Straits Times
37 minutes ago
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Kulim tour bus company declines comment on Gerik crash that killed 15 UPSI students
KULIM: A tour bus company based in Kulim, whose operating permit had been leased to another operator involved in Monday's fatal crash in Gerik, Perak which claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students, has declined to comment on the incident. A representative from the company said it would refrain from making any statements while authorities conduct a full investigation. "We do not wish to comment at this time. Let the authorities carry out a thorough investigation as we do not want to complicate matters. "Furthermore, the incident involved numerous casualties. We wish to respect the families who are grieving the loss of their loved ones. "That is all we have to say for now," the representative told the New Straits Times, declining to elaborate further when contacted today. The Transport Ministry announced that the company's permits were revoked due to multiple breaches of permit conditions. The Transport Ministry announced yesterday that all of the company's permits were revoked due to multiple breaches of permit conditions. Its Minister Anthony Loke had said that the company had committed two serious violations: leasing its permit to a third party and failing to activate the vehicle's GPS tracking system. He revealed that the Kedah-based permit holder had leased the permit to an operator in Kelantan for RM500 per month. In the early hours of Monday, a tour bus carrying 42 UPSI students from Jerteh, Terengganu, to Tanjung Malim, Perak, collided with a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) along the East-West Highway (JRTB) near Tasik Banding, Gerik. Fifteen students tragically lost their lives in the crash, with 33 others injured. Meanwhile, checks at the company's registered premises, a double-storey shoplot along Jalan Kilang Lama, revealed that the office remains closed. A worker at a neighbouring unit said the office had been shut for over a year. "The office has been quiet since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. "I noticed it was fully closed more than a year ago," said the woman, who requested anonymity. The company's signboard states that it offers bus and van rental services for holidays, worker transportation, tour packages, and hotel bookings. A review of the company's Facebook page showed that it was last updated in September 2024. It is understood that the company currently operates bus services for transporting workers, with two of its buses found parked in a locked open-air lot not far from the premises.


New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
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New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Gerik crash: Police record statement from bus owner
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