Viral dashcam footage captures fatal UPSI bus crash as nation mourns 15 young lives lost

Malay Mail

2 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — As the echoes of Aidiladha 'takbir' continued to reverberate across the nation, the mood turned sombre today following the tragic death of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students in a horrific crash involving a tour bus and a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) early yesterday morning.
The shocking tragedy, which occurred on the East-West Highway (JRTB) near Tasik Banding, Gerik, Perak, also left 33 people injured, including the bus driver and assistant, as well as the driver and three passengers in the Alza.
A dashboard camera video lasting over 40 seconds, has gone viral on social media, capturing the harrowing moments when the bus was seen overtaking another vehicle before losing control and veering off to the left side of the road. The video has become a crucial piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation.
Perak Police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin confirmed that the authorities had received the recording and would soon record a statement from the video's owner as part of a comprehensive probe into the cause of the crash.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) had issued a show-cause letter to the bus company involved to assist in the investigation and further action.
He added that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) was conducting a Safety Inspection and Audit (JISA) on the bus and the company under the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333) and the Land Public Transport Act (Act 715).
The condition of the chartered bus at the scene of the crash on the East-West Highway near Gerik, Perak that killed 15 UPSI students aged between 21 and 23 who were returning to their main campus after the Aidiladha holidays on June 9, 2025. — Bernama
'Strict action will be taken once investigations are complete. Every life lost is a great loss not only to the families but also to the nation's future,' he said in a Facebook post.
The tragedy also drew the attention of the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, who decreed that preventive measures must be implemented immediately in view of the recent rise in fatal road accidents.
The Sultan's Royal Comptroller, Meor Hezbullah Meor Abd Malik, said His Royal Highness stressed the need to learn from this tragedy by identifying existing shortcomings and making improvements, especially in terms of law and regulatory enforcement, to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Malaysian Association of Tour Agencies (MATA) president Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khalid Harun, who described the crash as a national emergency that demanded swift and firm action.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also urged public transport operators and drivers, as employees, to adopt occupational safety and health measures not only to ensure employee safety, but also that of passengers.
To help ease the burden on victims' families, the Terengganu State Government was among those who announced it would fully bear the funeral costs for the victims and provide psychosocial support.
A convoy of hearse vans carrying 13 of the students who died in the accident left the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB) Forensic Department, Ipoh, heading to Jertih, Terengganu, at about 8.55 pm. The other two bodies were transported from Gerik Hospital at 6.30 pm.
It is understood that upon arrival in Jertih, all bodies would undergo funeral prayers again at the Hadhari Mosque before being laid to rest in their respective village cemeteries.
The deceased students were identified as Fakhrul Arif Rosdi, 20, Anis Soffiyya Md Zaidi, 20, Nur Dalila Farhana Mohamad Isma, 21, Sufea Adela Maslihaizan, 21, Mohammad Aqil Taqiudin, 21, Nur Ainul Qistina Mat Ali, 21, and Nurul Izyanti Muhamad Azahar, 21.
Also killed were Nur Amni Nadiah Nik Nor Zabir, 21, Muhammad Mustaqim Rosde, 21, Nor Ayuni Maslan, 21, Muhammad Adib Hazim Halim, 21, Fatin Nasrien Fadli, 22, Nurul Fatihah Abu Setaman, 22, Wan Nur Suhaila Wan Muhammad, 22 and Nurly Sahirah Azman, 23.
Some 160 UPSI students departed from Tanjong Malim to Jertih, Terengganu, this evening to pay their last respects to their peers who perished in the accident. — Bernama