IPOH, Jan 15 — A woman related how she crawled to safety through the window of a burning bus after the vehicle crashed into a ditch and caught fire near the Tapah toll plaza on the North-South Expressway early today.
Lim Siew Hoi, 50, said she was injured on the left wrist and right fingers in the incident which occurred at Km326.3 of the highway at 1.15am when the bus was travelling from Kuala Kurau to Genting Highlands.
Siew Hoi said she and her husband, Low Chong Hee, 58, were sitting on the right side of the bus after having boarded it in Kamunting at about 11pm.
“I was not asleep at that time and I saw a lorry tyre in the middle of the road. The bus we were on tried to avoid it, but skidded into a ditch.
“Within two minutes, the bus burst into flames and I heard an explosion. The other passengers screamed in fear. I crawled out through a window and cut my hand on the broken glass window,” she told reporters at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital.
She said her husband was hurt in the nose, head and hands, and suffered swollen eyes and had to limp.
Siew Hoi, who had boarded the bus with three friends, said the vehicle was not going fast at the time of the accident.
“I saw the fire several metres from me. (The body of) a passenger who was seated opposite me on the bus fell on my husband. He was not moving, probably dead.
“I pushed him to the side to drag my husband out of the bus through the window. We both fell into the drain (near the road), but saved ourselves.
“I saw many victims crying and screaming after they got out of the bus,” Siew Hoi said, adding that she was traumatised by the accident and did not wish to say more.
Another passenger, Tan Beng Seng, 62, said he was asleep at the back of the bus and was woken up by the accident.
“I saw a fire at the back of the bus and people crawling out of the vehicle,” said Tan, who seemed to be a little weak. He said he had received 20 stitches on his right ear and suffered pain in his abdomen.
Other passengers who escaped the fire but were injured and admitted to the hospital were Tan Beng Seng, Ong Kiat, Teh Choon Hwa and Eng Tong Baeei. Ong Teik Meng was referred to the Fatimah Hospital, also in Ipoh.
Those who suffered minor injuries and were given out-patient treatment at the Tapah Hospital were Tan Mon Pee, Chuah Haa Khang, Ong Chiew Hoon, Tan Bee Yan, Ong Mooi Check, Loke Chin Chin, Lim Ah Geok, Ong Chew Theong, Tan Bi Dan, Ong Kok Tiong, Tan Chaa Boo, Ong Mooi See and Ooi Wye Swee.
Two passengers who did not suffer any injury were On Chin Hui and On Keon Chan. — Bernama
