KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — The director of a go-kart race that has turned fatal has lashed out at spectators who chose to watch from the sides of the track, causing two deaths today, instead of in the safety of a stadium.

Dr Aminudin Abu, the director of the Education Innovation Motorsports and Automotive Race (EIMARace) in Kuantan, Pahang said the accident location was an area prohibited to the public and the organisers did not expect spectators to be there.

“We had put Rela officers and cones here because this area is part of the race,” the associate professor told Sinar Online, referring to the location of the crash.

“For spectators they need to be at the Sukpa stadium and we have informed [people] about this but we cannot expect and did not expect them to go there,” he added, referring to spectators.

Aminudin said 22 Rela officers were stationed along the 2.2 km track.

He said it was the first time that a fatal accident had occurred during the race, and pledged to stop using open circuits for future EIMARace tournaments.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), race has since maintained that it took all necessary safety precautions for the event that saw two spectators killed in an accident earlier today.

New Straits Times Online quoted UTM vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Wahid Omar as saying that water barriers and safety tape partitions were set up at the race, while security personnel were also on hand.

He reportedly said the safety precautions were in line with recommendations by the Motorsports Association of Malaysia, the body that manages motoring sports in the country.

Company supervisor Izwan Isa, 39, and his four-year-old daughter Nurzulaikha Izwan, were killed after being hit by a go-kart while witnessing the EIMARace 2016 racing championship this morning.

His wife, teacher Siti Suhaiza Seman, 38, was lightly injured but their son Muhammad Izz Danial Izwan, 7, is in critical condition at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital, Kuantan.

In the 11.30am incident, Izwan, a factory supervisor in Gebeng, his wife, as well as their two children were understood to be standing close to the circuit.

The victims failed to move out in time when the said go-kart suddenly went out of control before skidding and hitting them.

However, as of late this evening there has been no official statement from the police on the exact cause of the incident, and the number of victims involved.