28 passengers – 13 of them students

The Star

a day ago

Broken windscreen: The damaged front of the express bus that crashed into a trailer. — Photo courtesy of IPD Maran
KUANTAN: Twenty-eight people, including 13 students from Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), escaped unhurt after the express bus they were travelling in crashed into the rear of a trailer at KM161.5 of the East Coast Expressway.
Maran police chief Supt Wong Kim Wai said the incident occurred around 1am yesterday while the bus was en route from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan in Kuala Lum­pur to Terminal Sentral Kuantan.
'The bus was in the left lane when it is believed to have collided with a trailer travelling in the same direction.
'Fortunately, all 28 passengers, including the drivers of both vehicles and the trailer attendant, were not injured,' he said in a statement, Bernama reported.
Supt Wong said the passengers on the bus were transferred to another vehicle to resume their journey to Kuantan.
The case is being investigated under Sec­tion 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Meanwhile, UMPSA vice-chancellor Prof Dr Yatimah Alias confirmed that 13 university students were on board the bus.
She said all students safely arrived at the Gambang UMPSA campus around 4am yesterday via a replacement bus.
'With the support of the Student Repre­sentative Council and the Student Affairs and Alumni Department, the students were received at the Gambang UMPSA mosque and provided with food, emotional support and temporary accommodation, especially the seven students from the Pekan campus,' she said.
Emergency aid packs containing ready-to-eat meals and other essential items were also distributed to the affected students.
'UMPSA remains committed to the safety and well-being of its students and conti­nues to remind them to prioritise safety at all times,' Yatimah told reporters yesterday.