Five burnt to death in Perak crash
KUALA KANGSAR: Five people believed to be from the same family, including a baby burnt to death after their car burst into flames.
This was after their vehicle was involved in a multiple vehicle pileup with a trailer here yesterday.
The accident took place at Km255.3 northbound of the North-South Expressway near the Menora Tunnel.
The 11.45am accident between the car and the trailer carrying an iron ore consignment occurred when the trailer driver lost control of his vehicle.
“The trailer crossed from its left lane into the right lane of the expressway before slamming into cars, including the vehicle in which the five victims were in.
All the vehicles were dragged against the highway’s middle concrete barrier when the trailer slammed into them.
Perak Traffic Enforcement Department investigation chief Superintendent Ahmad Adnan Basri, said the identities of the victims in the burnt car had yet to be determined.
“Initial investigations revealed that both the vehicles were heading north, when the trailer lost control and entered from its left lane into the right lane before slamming into and dragging several cars, including the one which burst into flame along the expressway’s concrete divider,” he said.
“The car in which the victims were in was dragged along by the trailer ’s head against the concrete divider, before it burst into flames,” he said,
“The 41-year-old trailer driver was uninjured,” he said, adding that the department was trying to establish the make of the burnt car.
Investigations are being conducted under Section 41(1) of the Road Transportation Act 1987.
Adnan said the remains of the victims were sent to Kuala Kangsar Hospital for postmortem.
Meanwhile, a witness to the road accident, Nur Amelia Amran, said she heard a cry for help, but could only watch on helplessly as the victim with four others were engulfed by flames.
“I saw everything. I saw the trailer slowly hitting the car until it was sandwiched between the heavy vehicle and the road divider.
“I was heading to Ipoh from Kuala Kangsar. As I was passing by the scene I could hear a woman’s voice calling for help,” she said at the Kuala Kangsar Hospital Forensic Unit here yesterday.
Nurul Amelia said many motorists had stopped their vehicles to help the victims, but could not do anything due to the flames.