Malaysia fatal bus crash: Report confirms bus brakes were functional
Puspakom's preliminary technical report, released on June 14, indicated that an inspection of the brakes, lining and drums showed no signs of wear. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
PETALING JAYA - The brakes on the bus involved in the crash that killed 15 Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) students were in working condition, according to vehicle company Puspakom.
Puspakom's preliminary technical report, released on June 14, indicated that an inspection of the brakes, lining and drums showed no signs of wear.
'Inspection of the air compressor tank also found there was no air pressure leakage,' the report stated.
The tyres were also found to be in satisfactory condition and compliant with the road transport department specifications. Additionally, the steering and suspension system were deemed satisfactory.
However, the report noted that the leaf spring and shock absorbers were misaligned, possibly due to the accident.
'Based on observations and technical investigations, there is no evidence showing mechanical failure was the cause of the accident,' it added, suggesting other factors such as road conditions or human error.
In a statement, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said necessary improvement measures wold be considered and implemented once the final report is received to further enhance road safety.
'The safety of road users is our priority. The ministry conveys its condolences to the victims' families and expresses its commitment to ensuring justice is served while ensuring such tragedies do not repeat,' he said on June 14.
On June 9, 15 UPSI students died when their chartered bus overturned after colliding with a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) on the East-West Highway near Gerik town. The crash also left 33 others injured, including the bus driver, his assistant, the MPV driver and three passengers in the MPV.
The bus driver, who has since been charged in court, had claimed that the bus suffered brake failure during the incident. THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Britain's Starmer: There will be a national inquiry into 'grooming gangs'
Britain's Starmer: There will be a national inquiry into 'grooming gangs' LONDON - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday he would accept a recommendation for a national inquiry into grooming gangs who sexually abused thousands of girls, having previously resisted calls for a statutory review. Interior minister Yvette Cooper in January asked Louise Casey, a former senior official, to undertake a "rapid audit" of the current scale and nature of gang-based exploitation in Britain. "(Casey's) position when she started the audit was that there was not a real need for a national inquiry, over and above what was going on," Starmer told reporters on Saturday. "She has looked at the material she has looked at and she has come to the view that there should be a national inquiry on the basis of what she has seen. "I have read every single word of her report and I am going to accept her recommendation." The child sexual abuse scandal, which revealed how gangs of mostly Pakistani men had groomed, trafficked and raped young white girls more than a decade ago, returned to the political agenda this year after U.S. billionaire Elon Musk criticised the British government. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Minnesota state Democrat lawmakers shot in their homes, search under way for suspect
A Swat team responds to the site of a shorting in Brooklyn Park, Minn., outside Minneapolis, on June 14. PHOTO: TIM GRUBER/NYTIMES Minnesota state Democrat lawmakers shot in their homes, search under way for suspect WASHINGTON - A Democratic state lawmaker and her husband were killed early June 14 in what appeared to be a 'politically motivated assassination', while a second lawmaker and his spouse were wounded in a separate attack, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said. 'An unspeakable tragedy has unfolded in Minnesota - my good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, were shot and killed early this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,' he told reporters. 'Our state lost a great leader,' he said. Mr Walz said that in a second attack, Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot multiple times, underwent surgery and that he was 'cautiously optimistic' that they would survive 'this assassination attempt'. 'This was an act of targeted political violence,' he said. 'Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don't settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.' Law enforcement authorities said the gunman was impersonating a police officer and escaped after exchanging fire with police who responded to the attacks. A large-scale search for the suspect was underway, they said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Straits Times
Brazilian doctor who orally raped sedated women in labour gets 30 years' jail
The sentence comes nearly three years after Bezerra's arrest on July 10, 2022. PHOTO: UNSPLASH SAO JOAO DE MERITI , Brazil - An anaesthesiologist in Brazil who raped two women while they were in labour was sentenced to 30 years' jail on June 9 , according to Brazilian media. Giovanni Quintella Bezerra , 35, was also ordered by a court in Baixada Fluminense to pay compensation of 50,000 Brazilian reais (S$11,560) to each victim, reported Brazilian outlet Ag e ncia Br asil. An appeal by Bezerra's defence against his sentence was denied by the court. This comes nearly three years after Bezerra's arrest on July 10, 2022 for orally raping a sedated woman undergoing a caesarean section at the Heloneida Studart Women's Hospita l in Sao Joao de Meriti . Investigations found that the victim, who could not recall what happened during the procedure, had been given an excessive amount of anaesthetic, according to Brazilian daily O Globo . Bezerra was caught red-handed by his colleagues, who had grown suspicious of the amount of sedatives he had administered to other pregnant women earlier in the day. They hid a cellphone in a cabinet in the operating room and recorded Bezerra's crime on camera. Images of the rape were circulated months after the incident, sparking condemnation and expressions of disgust towards Bezerra's crime from netizens in Brazil and beyond. At least 30 other women who had given birth while assisted by Bezerra approached the police after the incident came to light, reported TV Band Rio . The Regional Council of Medicine of Rio de Janeiro and the Federal Council of Medicine had in December 2023 revoked his professional registration as an anaesthesiologist without the possibility of an appeal. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
