IPOH, Oct 7 — Police have detained a 41-year-old trailer driver for investigations into a fatal accident at KM255.3 northbound of the North-South Expressway after the Menora Tunnel yesterday.

Perak Traffic Investigation and Enforcement chief Superintendent Ahmad Adnan Basri confirmed five people died in the crash.

"The dead were four adults and one baby. All the victims are Chinese,” he said in a WhatsApp statement today.

Efforts to locate the victims’ next of kin are still ongoing, added Ahmad Adnan.

"Post-mortem examinations will be conducted today by pathologists from Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun Ipoh,” he added.

Police were reported as saying yesterday that the driver of the trailer carrying iron ore lost control of his vehicle, which caused it to veer to the right of the two-lane expressway in the 11.47am incident.

The car carrying all the victims was dragged by the trailer and smashed into the expressway divider before erupting in flames.