KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — At least 166 people were hurt including 47 with serious injuries when two LRT Kelana Jaya Line trains collided near the KLCC station tonight, according to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong.
In a press conference at the station, he said the 8.33pm collision involved one train carrying passengers and another vacant train on a test run.
Wee confirmed that there were 232 on board the occupied train at the time of the crash.
“Forty-seven people sustained serious injuries and another 166 suffered minor injuries,” the minister said.
“The 47 who were seriously wounded have been sent to the hospital.”
Ambulance and medical personnel were on scene to treat those with less severe injuries, Wee added.
Earlier tonight, pictures and videos began circulating on social media depicting bloodied and crying riders in the moments after the mishap.
Dang Wangi district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said preliminary investigations showed that the carriage that was being tested was not supposed to have been on the live track.
“There could have been some miscommunication at the control centre but the train on the track coming from Kampung Baru should not have been on the same track, but there needs to be further investigations to establish the real reason.
“The train being tested was a damaged carriage and should have been using another track,” he said when met at the scene.
Mohamad Zainal said the train that was being tested had a driver, while the carriage laden with passengers was being controlled autonomously by the LRT navigation systems.
He explained that the collision took place approximately 100 meters from the KLCC station on its way to the Kampung Baru stop about two kilometres away in the underground tunnel.
A Fire and Rescue Department official on site said all injured passengers had been safely evacuated from the scene at around 9.50pm and given immediate medical attention.
