Fatal bus crash in Malaysia: ‘I'm sorry, the brakes stopped working' says driver
Mr Amirul, who has been driving buses since 2016, is currently being treated at Taiping Hospital. PHOTO: INFO.SEMASA/FACEBOOK
Fatal bus crash in Malaysia: 'I'm sorry, the brakes stopped working' says driver
PETALING JAYA - Lying on a hospital bed, Mr Mohd Amirul Fadhil Zulkifle's voice cracked as he tearfully apologised.
'I'm so sorry to all the students and families involved. The brakes suddenly stopped working,' said the 39-year-old bus driver, according to Malay language daily Sinar Harian.
His words carried the weight of the tragic deaths of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students when the chartered bus he was driving from Jertih to Tanjung Malim overturned after colliding with a Perodua Alza on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik between 12.30am and 1am on June 9.
The accident had also left 31 others injured, including Mr Amirul, his assistant, and the driver and three passengers of the MPV.
Mr Amirul said he did not know how to face the victims' families.
'If there are parties who want to take legal action, what else can I say? I tried various things, but because the air (for the air brakes) was empty, everything stopped working, including the handbrake, and the gear couldn't be changed.
'I tried to avoid other vehicles, and as far as I can remember, I avoided four vehicles, including a lorry, before the accident,' he said.
Mr Amirul, who is from Besut, Terengganu and has been driving buses since 2016, is currently being treated at Taiping Hospital.
He said he had tried his best to prevent the situation from getting worse.
'Because the accident happened on a bend, I couldn't do anything,' he said, holding back tears. 'I shouted to the students to be ready and be alert as soon as I realised the brakes were not working.
'The students sitting at the front heard my instructions, but those in the back were mostly asleep. Maybe the screaming made them think I was angry. I wasn't going as fast as claimed by many because I am familiar with the Jeli-Gerik route, especially the downhill section where it happened.'
He said the accident caused him to lose consciousness for a moment before waking back up and calling to the students to get out through the broken windshield of the bus.
Mr Amirul, said he crawled out of the bus and broke down in tears when he saw the condition of the students.
'This is the first time I have been involved in an accident that has claimed a life, and as bus driver, of course, I feel guilty,' he added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
36 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Taiwan jails Chinese ship captain for damaging undersea cables
TAIPEI - A Taiwanese court sentenced the Chinese captain of a ship to three years in jail on June 12 after finding him guilty of intentionally damaging undersea cables off the island in February, in a case that alarmed Taiwan officials. Prosecutors said the man was captain of the Chinese-crewed Hong Tai 58, registered in Togo, which Taiwanese authorities detained after suspecting the ship had dropped anchor near an undersea cable off south-western Taiwan, damaging it. The court in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan said the ship's Chinese captain, whom they identified only by his family name, Wang, was guilty of damaging the cables, though added he had denied the crime and that he can appeal. Wang admitted that he told the crew to drop anchor, but denied that he was guilty of damaging the cables, and that he was merely negligent in his duties, the court said in a statement. The court found that the captain had allowed the cargo ship to 'wander', and that the cables broke due to the pulling of the anchor, it added. Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom suffered losses of more than T$17 million (S$736,000) in repair costs, the court said. China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Reuters was not able to locate a contact for a representative of Wang. China has previously accused Taiwan of 'manipulating' possible Chinese involvement in the case, saying it was casting aspersions before the facts were clear. Seven other crew members of the ship have already been deported after prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence against them. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has reported five cases of sea cable malfunctions in 2025 , compared with three each in 2024 and 2023, according to its digital ministry. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Austrian investigators slowly build profile of school shooter
People attend a memorial service at a main square in Graz, following a deadly shooting at a secondary school, Austria, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger FILE PHOTO: Police officers stand as children are evacuated from the school, following a deadly school shooting in Graz, Austria, June 10, 2025. REUTERS/Borut Zivulovic/File Photo GRAZ, Austria - Austrian investigators were on Thursday slowly piecing together the character of the man who carried out the country's worst school shooting this week, with officials struggling to reach anyone who knew the deceased 21-year-old well. The Austrian man, identified by local media as Arthur A., killed 10 people before shooting himself at his former high school in the southern city of Graz, sending shockwaves through Austria, which declared three days of national mourning. Police found discarded plans for a bomb attack and a non-functional bomb during a search of his home after the shooting, but what triggered his destructive urges remains unclear. Authorities said the suspect failed to complete his studies at the school. Local media reported the man, who lived with his mother on the outskirts of Graz, felt bullied at the school and wanted revenge, though police have not confirmed this. Neighbours and officials in the commuter town of Kalsdorf bei Graz, where he lived, described a withdrawn, slight man who generally wore a cap and headphones, covering himself up. Of over a dozen local residents spoken to about the suspect by Reuters, few wanted to talk at all. Some said they had seen him, but none said they knew him. "He's not at all known in the place, that is, we weren't able to speak to either friends or acquaintances yesterday," local council official Sabine Jakubzig told Austrian television. According to newspaper Heute, investigators said he did not have a personal account on social media. Police, who declined to comment, will hold a press conference later on Thursday. Austrian magazine Profil said three months ago the suspect had started practising shooting at a club near his home, citing an unidentified regular at the range. The man related how he had praised the young man for his accuracy, but received no response. "He was like someone from another planet," Profil quoted the shooting club regular as saying. Questions about the bullying allegations at the Dreierschutzengasse school the young man attended were put to its deputy head, Norbert Urabl, on national broadcaster ORF. "Bullying is a very delicate topic. Bullying occurs on so many levels that it's very difficult to pinpoint the term bullying in this case," he said. "But the fact is that, if bullying can be triggered, then more sensitivity is urgently needed to recognise bullying processes earlier." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Mother and eldest son found dead at Melaka home; second son is prime murder suspect
Mother and eldest son found dead at Melaka home; second son is prime murder suspect MELAKA - Melaka police have confirmed that a 17-year-old student is the prime suspect in the double murder case at Taman Rambai Mutiara, Bukit Rambai. State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar, said the suspect allegedly stabbed his 51-year-old mother multiple times while she was fast asleep in her bedroom on June 12. 'The victim's 21-year-old eldest son, who ran to his mother's aid, was also stabbed. 'Both victims succumbed to their injuries at the scene,' Datuk Dzulkhairi told reporters at the Melaka Police headquarters on June 12. He said the suspect also brutally attacked his 13-year-old brother, who is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Melaka Hospital. The woman, a single mother, and her 21-year-old eldest son were found covered in a pool of blood at home. He said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect was frustrated with his mother, a teacher at a local primary school, for pressuring him to achieve high marks in his examinations. 'The suspect was allegedly asked by his mother to excel in his exams and to study late into the night. 'Neighbours also reported frequently hearing arguments between the suspect, his mother and his siblings,' he said. Mr Dzulkhairi said the murder is believed to have occurred at approximately 5am on June 12 and the suspect allegedly used a 20cm pen knife to carry out the attack. 'We found the weapon in the suspect's school bag at the scene. When police arrived, the suspect was sitting on the porch of the house,' he said. He added that the suspect initially claimed that the murders were the result of a robbery. 'However, CCTV footage revealed otherwise, and my men apprehended him at the scene. 'We believe the motive behind the killings was revenge, as the suspect was unhappy with his mother's insistence on academic excellence. Mr Dzulkhairi said the investigation also found that the suspect had planned the attack, having purchased the knife a few days prior to the incident. 'We consider the murder case solved with revenge as the motive,' he added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
