• Source:JND
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At least 15 individuals, all of whom were university students, died in a fatal bus accident in northern Malaysia in the early hours of Monday morning, the nation's deadliest road accident after a decade. The accident happened near the town of Gerik in Perak state along the East-West Highway near the Thai border. Malaysian officials reported that a bus carrying students from Sultan Idris Education University crashed into a minivan around 1:00 AM local time. Fourteen of the fatalities were between 21 and 23 years old, while the remaining victim was the bus attendant.

Perak State Police Chief Hisam Nordin explained that initial investigations indicate that the bus may have lost control before crashing into the back of the minivan. "It seemed that the bus had lost control and hit the minivan at the back," he said to local media. The fire and rescue department found a green university bus capsized with a twisted back, while the red minivan rested in a roadside ditch with smashed windows. Rescue personnel employed hydraulic cutters to liberate caught passengers from the wreckage. Certain victims were tossed outside the vehicle as a result of the collision, while others managed to escape on their own. As per the local media in total, 33 people sustained injuries, including seven in critical condition, who have been admitted to nearby hospitals. A local witness described the aftermath as “chaotic”, with students screaming and crying for help. “They were pinned between the wreckage,” the witness, identified only as Razali, told the New Straits Times.

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Prime Minister Anwar Orders Support for Victims’ Families

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was deeply saddened by the tragedy and has asked the Higher Education Ministry to help the families of the victims. "Azizah and I are deeply saddened to receive news of a tragic accident early this morning near Gerik involving a bus and several other vehicles, killing 15 students. We pray for you to be given strength and perseverance in facing this very difficult trial. I have instructed the Ministry of Higher Education to coordinate proper assistance for the victims' families. Heartbreaking disasters like these that are repeated often should be a lesson to all to be careful and not to rush to pursue the destination. Your lives are too precious and can't be replaced." Anwar said in a statement posted on Facebook.

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Malaysia sees its average of 18 deaths on the roads each day, according to official statistics. The East-West Highway, which links the two sides of the peninsula, is notorious for accidents, usually entailing both vehicles and animals. The country's most tragic bus accident took place in 2013, when an express bus veered off the road and into a ravine northeast of Kuala Lumpur, killing 37 passengers.