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BENTONG: A seventh person has died following an accident involving a tourist van which skidded before crashing into a road divider at Km4.8 of Jalan Genting Highlands near the hilltop holiday resort here today.
The seventh victim Chang Them Kong, 70, succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
Six others who died on the spot in the 1.15pm mishap have been identified as tour van driver Wong Choun Chiet, 49, along with five female passengers Foong Ah Lan, 67; Lee Moy, 67; Goh Siew Kim, 61; Ang Meng Hong, 62, and Seow Mee Tin, 72.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said Wong and his 13 passengers - one male and 12 female - were returning to Penang from Genting Highlands when the accident occured.
"Upon reaching the spot, Wong is believed to have lost control of the wheel while negotiating a bend and crashed into a concrete divider on the right side(middle) of the stretch. Six people were killed on the spot.
"Six others including Chang were sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital where he later died while receiving treatment. Two other victims were sent to Bentong Hospital before they were moved to the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh," he said, adding all the victims were between 49 and 78 years old.
Ramli said the case is investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Earlier, it was reported that six people were killed while eight others were injured after the tourist van which they were travelling in skidded along the stretch.
Genting Highlands Fire and Rescue station chief Mohd Saufi Zakaria said firemen used rescue tools to extricate the victims from the mangled vehicle.
