ALOR GAJAH: A 17-year old female tourist was killed after an express bus caught fire in an accident at Kilometer 198 of the North-South Highway (northbound), early today.
Alor Gajah district police chief Superintendent Arshad Abu said five more passengers were injured, including two with severe burns.
He said the accident happened at about 3.50 am and the bus was carrying 28 passengers from Singapore and India, heading to Kuala Lumpur.
Police received an emergency call at 4am about a bus involved in an accident with a motorcycle and a team of policemen went to the scene to investigate.
"The motorcycle ridden by a 21-year-old man is believed to have skidded some time earlier, ending up in the far left lane. The motorcycle rider managed had veered to the left side of the road and the vehicle was left behind.
"The bus hit the motorcycle involved and dragged it until it caught fire," he said in a statement here.
Both vehicles were completely burnt in the accident.
Arshad said the accident caused five passengers including three people sitting in the back to be trapped and injured due to the fire.
He said one of the victims, 17-year-old Indian national Yafarah Taj Fakrudin Hussaini, died while being treated at Alor Gajah Hospital due to burns.
"The victims of severe burns are Peer Mohamed Kannudeen, 69, and Anissa Begum Fakrudin Hussaini, 45, while two others were slightly injured, namely Mohideenmeraal Beermohamed, 68, and Tasmiyah Taj, 19," he said.
He said, 23 other passengers were not injured including the driver and second driver aged 24 and 46.
"The body of the deceased was sent to the Melaka Hospital for the post-mortem examination and further investigations are still ongoing in accordance with Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987," he said.
Meanwhile, Fire and Rescue Department operations commander, Deputy Fire Superintendent II Zahrul Azha Mokhtar said the department received a call regarding the accident at 3.55am and a total of 21 members were involved in extinguishing the fire.
He said that immediately after extinguishing the fire, members searched the route for 150 meters and no other victims were found.
