GUA MUSANG, Aug 16 — Three people, including a husband-and-wife, were killed and 12 others were injured when a Toyota Avanza car and a Toyota Hiace van, each with a family on board, collided at the 15th kilometre Gua Musang-Kuala Lipis Road here, early this morning.

The dead were the driver of the Toyota Avanza, Che Azmi Che Hamzah, 48, and his wife, Nor Hayati Mohamad, 43, from Taman Mesra, Gua Musang and the driver of the van, who had yet to be identified.

In the mishap at 4.50am, the 12 injured victims included the couple’s three children Mohamad Faris Faisal Che Azmi, 15, Mohamad Afiz Zulhilmi Che Azmi, 23 and Nur Damia Sofea Che Azmi, seven.

The others injured were the passengers of the van, Wan Zakiah Wan Abdul Razak, 39, Khaulah Zulfaizan, 11, Ahmad Zaid Zulfaizan, one, Siti Fatimah Zulfaizan, 15, Muhammad Saad Zulfaizan, three, Masyitah Zulfaizan, 14, Wawaddah Zulfaizan, seven, Sakinah Zulfaizan, five, and Solehah Zulfaizan, nine.

Gua Musang district police chief, Supt Mohd Taufik Maidin said that the crash took place when the couple and their three children were heading to Gua Musang from Kuala Lipis.

He said that Che Azmi lost control of his vehicle at a curve in the road and entered the opposing lane to collide with the van with a family of 10 on board from the opposite direction.

He said that Nor Hayati and the driver of the van died at the scene from head and bodily injuries while Che Azmi passed away at the Gua Musang Hospital (GMH).

"The injured victims received outpatient treatment at GMH before they were allowed to go home,” he said.

The bodies of the deceased were sent to GMH for post-mortems and the case was being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, he added. — Bernama