Gerik crash: UPSI launches donation fund following bus tragedy that killed 15 students
IPOH, June 11 — Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) has set up a special fund for public contributions following the tragic accident that claimed the lives of 15 of its students last Monday.
UPSI vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Md Amin Md Taff, in a statement, said donations could be channelled through the Student Representative Council Fund (RHB Bank: 25807500029702) and the UPSI Prihatin Fund (Bank Islam: 08068010003264).
He also expressed his appreciation to all Malaysians who had extended their sympathy and donated as a gesture of love and support for the families of the victims.
'It is only through love and a sense of humanity that we at UPSI can find the strength to face this sorrowful ordeal,' he said.
Fifteen UPSI students were killed in the early hours of Monday when the bus they were travelling in overturned at KM53 of the East-West Highway (JRTB), near Tasik Banding, Gerik.
UPSI has also set up an operations room to monitor all related matters and remains concerned about the welfare of its students and will provide psychological support to the victims undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Meanwhile, the Perak government expressed its appreciation to all parties involved, including the medical and security teams who worked tirelessly in responding to the tragedy.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, in a statement, said the State Executive Council (MMK), which met today, also extended its appreciation to the medical teams at Gerik Hospital, Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB) and Taiping Hospital.
According to him, the medical teams spared no effort in saving lives and providing the best possible care to the victims.
He also expressed his appreciation to the security forces, including the police, Fire and Rescue Department, and Civil Defence Force, for their swift and dedicated efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of the victims.
'Not to be forgotten are the Gerik District Office, Ipoh City Council, government departments and relevant agencies that played a vital role in coordinating actions and providing logistical support, including assisting the victims' next of kin and families,' he said.
Saarani also extended his gratitude to the UPSI management for their concern and swift action in addressing the welfare of the affected students as well as their next of kin and thanked non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals who came forward to offer assistance and support.
He said that the contributions of all parties had enabled the remains of the victims to be brought home to their respective hometowns in an organised, respectful and seamless process.
'Hopefully, all the injured victims will recover soon, and the families who lost their loved ones will continue to be granted strength and fortitude in facing this time of grief,' he said. — Bernama
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
34 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Bus driver in fatal UPSI crash arrested
The bus overturned at Km53 of the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik, early on Monday morning, killing 15 UPSI students. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The driver of the chartered bus that crashed in Gerik on Monday killing 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students, has been arrested. Perak police chief Noor Hisam Nordin said the 39-year-old man was detained at about 6pm after being discharged from Taiping Hospital, where he was treated for injuries sustained in the crash. The suspect will be brought to the Gerik district police headquarters (IPD) to assist in the investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which pertains to causing death by reckless or dangerous driving. 'We have received instructions from the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC). (He) will be charged in the Gerik (magistrates') court tomorrow,' Nor Hisam said in a Bernama report. The bus was chartered by UPSI students who had celebrated Hari Raya Aidiladha in Jerteh, Terengganu, over the weekend, and were travelling back to their campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak. It overturned at Km53 of the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik, killing 15 students. The crash also left 33 others injured, including the bus driver, his assistant and four people in an MPV involved in the collision. On Tuesday, Sinar Harian reported that Bukit Aman traffic investigation and enforcement department director Yusri Hassan Basri had revealed that the bus driver had 18 outstanding summonses. He said 13 summonses were for speeding, three for not wearing a seatbelt, one for not having a third brake light, and another for involvement in a previous accident. Transport minister Loke Siew Fook reportedly said that based on dashcam footage from another road user, it was clear that the bus was 'speeding and overtaking' before it lost control and overturned.
New Straits Times
40 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Gerik crash: Bus driver to be charged tomorrow
IPOH: The driver of the bus involved in the crash that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students in Gerik on Monday will be charged tomorrow. Perak police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said the 39-year-old man, who was apprehended after being discharged from Taiping Hospital, would be taken to the Gerik Court. "Tomorrow, after Friday prayers, he will be charged at the Gerik Magistrate's Court," he said when contacted today. Earlier, it was reported that police arrested the bus driver at about 5.45pm after he was discharged from hospital. He will be taken to the Gerik police headquarters to facilitate investigations under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving. It is learnt that the man was accompanied by three policemen, believed to be from the Gerik police headquarters, when they left the hospital compound. It was reported that the bus driver was among those injured in the crash. Noor Hisam had said the driver sustained injuries to his hand. On Monday, the bus, carrying 42 UPSI students, was travelling from Jertih, Terengganu, to the university's main campus when it collided with a Perodua Alza at Km53 of the East-West Highway in Gerik. Thirteen students died at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital. The driver, his attendant, the other UPSI students and a family of four in the Alza all sustained injuries of varying degrees.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Gerik Crash: Shattered hope as families receive death certificates
JERTIH: Nearly a year ago, Mohamad Isma Abdul Manaf sent off his eldest daughter, Nur Dalila Farhana, to university with the hope that she would return home with a degree. But fate had other plans. Instead of a degree, today, the 47-year-old father received his daughter's death certificate. Nur Dalila Farhana, 21, was among the 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students who perished in the tragic crash along the East-West Highway in Gerik, Perak, on Monday. 'It tore me apart to see my daughter's name on a death certificate. No parent ever wishes to face that, but this is my fate. I have to accept it and stay strong,' he told Bernama after receiving the document from Terengganu National Registration Department (NRD) director Mohamad Nasir Kareem at the family's home in Kampung Bharu Tok Dhor here. Mohamad Isma said that the death certificate in hand would ease matters for him and his wife, Norinda Kasim, 49, in handling other affairs, such as insurance claims and related issues. The crash occurred when the chartered bus, en route from Jertih to UPSI's main campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, collided with a Perodua Alza multipurpose vehicle before overturning. The accident also left 33 others injured, including the bus driver and his assistant, as well as the driver and three passengers of the Perodua Alza. Meanwhile, Mohamad Nasir said that eight death certificates were handed over to the next of kin at their respective residences today, adding that five others were collected by family members at the NRD counters, whereas two more are still being processed. 'This is an initiative by the NRD to ease the burden on families by handling the death registration process for their children without requiring them to be present at the NRD counters in Besut or Setiu,' he added.
