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Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
South Korea pulls plane crash report after victims' families protest
Flowers for the families of the victims of Jeju Air plane which crashed in Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province on Dec 31, 2024. MUAN, South Korea – South Korean officials on July 19 abruptly cancelled the release of an intermediate report into the deadly crash of a Jeju Air passenger jet , after relatives of the victims disrupted a news conference, saying that the report was inadequate. The confrontational scene unfolded after officials had earlier briefed the families privately on the latest stage of the investigation. The officials were planning to publicly release some findings from an analysis of the engines on the Boeing 737-800 that crashed Dec 29, killing 179 of the 181 people on board. A lawyer for the relatives, who saw the officials' presentation in the private meeting, said the investigators had found no fault with the engines and instead appeared to blame birds – which struck the engines minutes before it made an emergency landing – and the plane's pilots prematurely. 'The families did not get an adequate explanation,' said Mr Pillkyu Hwang, the lawyer, speaking at a lectern in the Muan International Airport where the investigators of the crash had been expected to give their report. 'In fact, depending on how you look at it, it kind of puts all the blame on the dead birds and the dead pilots,' he said, without specifying what details officials gave about the pilots' actions. 'Of course, that may be the outcome of the investigation. But that requires tremendous rigor and very careful wording. And something came out that wasn't careful at all,' Mr Hwang said. The relatives' delegation said in a statement that the framing of the report could imply that final conclusions had been reached, when the crash was still under investigation. Many relatives said they feared the report could be misconstrued by the news media as being more definite than it truly was. The Transport Ministry distributed copies of its report to journalists as they waited in a meeting room for the news conference to begin. Mr Kim Byung-chae, a ministry spokesperson, said the report would not officially be made public until the start of the briefing. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Asia At least 34 killed as tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam's Halong Bay Singapore 1 dead, 1 injured after dispute between neighbours at Yishun HDB block Singapore Vessels from Navy, SCDF and MPA to debut at Marina Bay in NDP maritime display Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Asia SIA, Scoot, Cathay Pacific cancel flights as typhoon nears Hong Kong Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore But after the families burst in, shouting objections, the news conference was canceled. Officials took the copies back, declaring that the report had not been issued. Jeju Air Flight 2216 landed on its belly after reporting a bird strike and issuing an emergency call. The plane overran the runway and struck a concrete berm that housed navigation aids, bursting into a deadly fireball. Only two people – flight attendants at the back of the plane – survived. The cause of the disaster, the deadliest plane crash on South Korean soil, is still being investigated, hampered by the absence of a crucial piece of evidence: Flight recorders, known as black boxes, stopped recording for about the final four minutes of the flight. Investigators have previously disclosed that bird feathers were found in both engines of the plane, but have not addressed their role in the disaster. The report expected on July 19 was about the engines, which were manufactured by CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines. The start of the news conference was repeatedly postponed as reporters were told investigators were still speaking to the relatives in the nearby terminal building. After about an hour of postponements, chaos erupted in the room where the reporters waited. Some members of the relatives' delegation who had been speaking to the investigators stormed in, shouting. 'This briefing is not happening. Everyone get out!' one bereaved woman yelled. 'They've just blamed it all on the pilots!' a man cried out. Officials from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board, dressed in black uniforms, entered the room. One began speaking into the microphone, saying over the shouting relatives that he was going to start the news conference. A group of relatives swiftly pushed him out of the room. Mr Kim, the ministry spokesperson, said that the news conference was cancelled and that investigators would consult further with the relatives. The report about the engine analysis could be rescheduled, he added. Mrs Kim Yu-jin, president of the relatives delegation, said the families did not disagree with the report's findings but felt the presentation was unsatisfactory. 'When the investigators take a position, it should be accompanied by a number of documents that support their position and convince the bereaved family that their conclusions are inevitable,' she told reporters. 'But we were only given their conclusions and told they couldn't disclose the process or evidence that led them to those findings.' In the families' meeting with officials, she said the delegation had requested the original findings of the analysis of the engine, which was conducted by US, French and South Korean investigators in France, where Safran, one of the engine manufacturers, is based. 'We have repeatedly asked them to be careful about these disclosures because the way that the results of the investigation are communicated can have an impact on the compensation that families receive,' she told reporters. 'What we heard today did not take into account those things.' NYTIMES
Al-Ahram Weekly
a day ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Less time and money - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
Commuters on the Ring Road, a 100 km highway that encircles Cairo and Giza, have felt an improvement in traffic, even in peak hours, with the introduction of the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The new means of transportation started its trial phase on 1 June. This covers a 35-km-long area extending from the intersection of the Ring Road and Alexandria Agricultural Road in the west of Cairo to the Police Academy station in the eastern part known as New Cairo. There are 14 main stations in the first phase of the BRT. Tickets for the first four stations cost LE5, doubling if a passenger wants to go further. Compared to the alternative means of transportation, BRT is cheaper, with a microbus ticket costing LE16. The service is available from 6am until 6pm during the first three months of its experimental phase. Then the operational hours will extend to 12am. The made-in-Egypt buses are environmentally friendly, an air-conditioned means of mass transportation that moves without rails but on dedicated lanes on the road that no other means of transportation can use. Any vehicle that uses this lane will be fined to guarantee that the bus is not delayed due to traffic jams. The Ring Road is monitored by cameras to make sure there are no traffic violations. 'It is very good,' says Mona, a housewife who was heading for the Shobra-Benha station. 'I think that to ensure that this means of transportation is successful, drivers of microbuses and lorries shouldn't be using it,' she said, adding the ticket was fairly priced. On the same route, Magdi, a hairdresser, seemed happy with the new service, telling Al-Ahram Weekly he wished that working hours would be extended until late at night. 'I believe that the BRT is perfect. I just want to be able to use it after I come back from work at night, as it is safer for me.' 'I enjoyed the ride since it is comfortable and eco-friendly. However, we want to see more signs to guide us to the BRT stations because it took me some time asking for directions until I finally reached the station,' says Hala, another passenger. Buses will run every three minutes, 20 buses an hour. During peak times, the run time will be reduced to 1.5 minutes to serve the growing number of passengers. The BRT integrates with other modes of transportation, interchanging services with the first metro line at the Zahraa and Al-Marg stations, the third metro line at the Adli Mansour and Imbaba stations, and the Light Rail Train also at Adli Mansour. The Transport Ministry announced how to reach these stations via a post on its Facebook page. The project will contribute to encouraging and maximising the use of eco-friendly public transportation systems by attracting those who currently use private cars, and reducing emissions from car exhausts since all buses that will be operated will be electric, which are environmentally friendly. During the first and second phases of the plan, 100 air-conditioned electric buses will be operated, each with a capacity of 66 passengers, to transport 3,200 passengers an hour in both directions. The BRT in Greater Cairo will be implemented in three phases, covering an overall distance of 113 km, including 48 stations, in addition to parking spaces, a main charging station, and three subsidiary charging stations. Work is underway on the second phase, which includes 21 stations, covering the distance from Field Marshal Tantawi intersection to that of Fayoum, including three stations on the Marioutiya-Haram-King Faisal-Tersa axis and the Grand Egyptian Museum station (Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road). There are now 187 countries around the world using this kind of transportation, including Brazil, the US, China, France, Australia, and Colombia. More than 50 per cent of BRTs can be found in Latin America and Asia. Buses operate 10 km/h faster than regular buses and offer riders a 15-minute decrease in travel time. The first BRT system in the world was introduced 51 years ago in the city of Curitiba in Brazil. * A version of this article appears in print in the 17 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
![News@9: Today's top headlines - July 18, 2025 [WATCH]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fassets%2FNST-Logo%402x.png%3Fid%3Db37a17055cb1ffea01f5&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
News@9: Today's top headlines - July 18, 2025 [WATCH]
Here are tonight's top stories: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is open to meeting Umno leaders over the royal addendum on Datuk Seri Najib Razak — but says the matter is up to the courts. A Transport Ministry report reveals the UPSI tour bus that crashed in Gerik last month — killing 15 students — was going 117km/h, nearly twice the speed limit. Following their cabinet exits, MPs Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad have been reassigned to the parliamentary backbenches. New seating starts Monday. Pamela still missing Three months since her disappearance, police say there are still no leads in the case of Datin Seri Pamela Ling Yueh. That's all for News@9.
![[UPDATED] Gerik UPSI crash: Tour bus was travelling at almost twice the speed limit](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fimages%2Farticles%2FUPSIcrash-180725_NSTfield_image_socialmedia.var_1752823876.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
[UPDATED] Gerik UPSI crash: Tour bus was travelling at almost twice the speed limit
KUALA LUMPUR: The tour bus involved in the fatal crash in Gerik that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students last month was estimated to have been travelling at 117kph, nearly twice the posted speed limit. According to a preliminary report released today by the Transport Ministry, the speed limit for this route is 60kph. The report stated that dashcam footage and physical evidence at the scene showed the bus skidded before overturning, indicating that the vehicle was moving at a speed that exceeded the critical limit for skidding and likely surpassed the critical speed for overturning as well. "The bus's minimum speed at the time of the incident is estimated to have exceeded 111.3kph, which is the minimum speed at which an overturn could occur given the road's curvature. "From the visual analysis, the estimated average speed of the bus during the incident was 117.6kph. "Margin of error (due to video resolution limitations): ±16.8kph. Therefore, the actual speed range is estimated to be between 111.3kph and 134.4kph," the report said. The report also revealed that a section of the guardrail had penetrated the bus body, causing injuries and fatalities among the passengers. Meanwhile, investigations revealed that seat belts were only installed at the driver's seat, with none provided for the passenger seats or the second driver's seat. "The vehicle was fitted with 44 passenger seats, one second driver's seat, and one main driver's seat. However, one of the seats was dislodged from its original position, although six seats on the left side, as well as the second driver's seat, sustained damage due to the impact of the crash," it said. It added that a visual inspection found the physical components of the steering system to be in good condition. However, the report said the functionality of the steering system could not be tested as the vehicle was not in a suitable condition for dynamic testing. It said the impact had caused several W-beam rails to penetrate the body of the bus, causing severe damage to the bus roof structure and pillars, and severely injuring passengers. "The impact also caused the bus roof to come off and several passengers were thrown out. The collision with the barrier also caused the bus to spin counter-clockwise as it fell to the left," the report said. On June 9, a tour bus carrying 42 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students from Jerteh, Terengganu, to Tanjung Malim, Perak, was involved in a collision with a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) along the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik. Fifteen students were killed in the crash. On June 11, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said all permits held by the tour bus company involved in the fatal crash had been revoked with immediate effect following multiple breaches of permit conditions.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Gerik bus crash: MOT told to define legal subcontracting, end permit abuse
KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry has been advised to issue official guidelines distinguishing legitimate subcontracting from illegal licence leasing to prevent confusion and exploitation in the industry. This was among several recommendations in the preliminary report by the ministry's task force on the fatal tour bus crash in Gerik. "On operational compliance and licensing, it is recommended that the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) enhance enforcement against the unlawful leasing of operating licences. "Amendments to licensing conditions should include integrity declarations and clear identification of the licence holder, vehicle, and driver," the report said. It also proposed introducing a mandatory vehicle body marking system, requiring the permanent and visible display of the operator's licence number on all vehicles for on-ground verification. Authorities were urged to expedite the rollout of an integrated monitoring system for all commercial vehicles, capable of real-time tracking of driving behaviour, speed, location, licence status, and operational compliance. The system should incorporate GPS, geofencing, automatic alerts, performance data analytics, and allow for proactive, integrated information-sharing with enforcement agencies. The report also recommended the development of a unified driver database containing records of discipline, licences, training, and accident history, accessible to relevant agencies and legitimate operators. "On road infrastructure, the design of road dividers at high-risk locations must be reviewed to ensure alignment with current safety guidelines. "Speed limit signs, chevrons and bend warning signs should be installed within clear sight distances, and all faded road markings should be repaired or replaced using high-intensity retro-reflective materials to improve night-time visibility," it said. The installation of Automated Awareness Safety System (AWAS) cameras at high-risk locations was also suggested to enhance speed compliance. The report further proposed returning enforcement powers for the land public transport industry to Apad, or re-establishing a body such as the Land Public Transport Commission to coordinate integrated licensing and enforcement. It also called for the establishment of a Malaysian Transportation Safety Board as an independent investigative body for all modes of transport. "This would ensure accident investigations are conducted professionally, objectively and consistently, contributing to long-term prevention and holistic improvements in transport safety," it said. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), the report added, should be promoted in operational monitoring to detect risky driving patterns, predict system failures, and prevent incidents through real-time data analysis. On June 9, a tour bus carrying 42 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students from Jerteh, Terengganu, to Tanjung Malim, Perak, collided with a Perodua Alza along the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik. Fifteen students were killed in the crash. revoked with immediate effect following multiple breaches of permit conditions.
