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Singaporean tourist killed, 39 injured in bus accident, the third in 8 days – Bernama

A Singaporean tourist was killed while 39 others were injured, including two drivers, when the double-decker tour bus they were travelling in plunged into a ravine at KM70 of the Kuantan-Segamat highway near Pekan, Pahang, this afternoon.

The bus, driven by a local driver, transporting 38 Singaporean tourists from Redang Island, Terengganu to Singapore went out of control and plunged into the 10-metre deep ravine at about 4.30pm.

Pekan police chief Supt Yahaya Othman said the victim who died was a male tourist in his 30s while all the injured passengers were sent to Pekan Hospital and Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA) for treatment.

"Ten ambulances and firemen were rushed to the scene to help in the rescue effort. This is the third accident involving a bus in a week in Pahang," he said.

On Monday, three passengers, including an 11-month old baby were seriously injured when an express bus carrying 27 passengers was involved in an accident at KM116 of the East Coast Highway.

On April 13, a double-decker bus from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Baru, Kelantan crashed at KM11, Jalan Bentong Raub, killing three passengers and injuring 10 others.

At the hospital in Pekan, one of the passengers in today's bus accident recounted how he was forced to climb out of a broken glass window to save himself.

Recalling the chaotic moments, the man, only known as Karthiksan, 27, said the double-decker bus was going slowly and the condition of the road was good when the mishap took place.

"Suddenly, the bus went out of control and skidded before descending into a 10-metre deep ravine, causing the bus to roll over several times.

"At that time I realised the glasses of the windows on both sides broke and I thought I was going to die.

"We (passengers) immediately climbed out through the broken glass windows to save ourselves," said the Indian national who works at a computer software company in Singapore. – Bernama, April 20, 2014.