Wednesday 21 August 2013

Genting bus tragedy (Updated)

UPDATES

This is the latest on the tragedy by NST,

(Note to NST online editors : I had tried not to cut and paste from your website and instead just provide the link for readers to go to your webpage but I just can't seem to do so. Please do something to fix your links if you want to improve your readership. Also please improve your website's presence at Google news if you want more readers to read your stories.)

UPDATE - GENTING BUS TRAGEDY: Death toll climbs to 37


KUALA LUMPUR: At least 37 people were killed while 16 others were injured when an express bus overturned and plunged into a ravine at Km 3.5 Jalan Genting, near Chin Swee Temple at 2.45pm today.

The dead comprised 24 men and 13 women including the 40-something bus driver.
The crash is believed to be one of the worst in the nation's history.
Rescuers worked frantically to locate the bodies and the survivors, many of whom were flung out of the bus as it rolled down the 60m ravine.
It is understood that at least five were seriously injured.
The survivors were sent to the Selayang and Kuala Lumpur hospitals within an hour of the accident. 
The bus, which was initially believed to be carrying 53 passengers, was headed for the city at the time.
However, rescuers said the number of passengers could be more than that as they recovered another three bodies from the wreckage.
As at 6.50pm, rescuers, working in the rain, were still trying to recover the bodies, some of which were flung metres away from the bus.
The passengers are believed to be local and foreign tourists including from Indonesia, Thai and Bangladesh.
Rescuers told the NST that the trees and undergrowth had slowed down the momentum of the bus as it rolled down the ravine. 
Emergency and rescue personnel brought in a crane and jerry-rigged a bucket recovery system to haul up the survivors and the dead.
The task is labourous as only two people can be hauled up at a time.
At 7pm, Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department chief Azizan Ismail said rescue operations would continue for at least another two hours. 
Rescue personnel from various agencies were dispatched from Bentong, Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan.
Sultan Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah was among those who rushed to the scene of the crash to view the situation and find out about the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, Bernama quoted Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) Emergency and Trauma Department head Datuk Seri Dr Abu Hassan Ashaari saying that five bodies had been sent to the hospital by 6.28pm.
Other hospitals the victims were sent to were the Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selayang Hospital and the Bentong Hospital.
To date, Selayang Hospital has released the names of the eight victims,  HKL (five), the Sungai Buloh Hospital and Bentong Hospital two each.
He said the victims were aged between 19 and 50 years. 
Bentong District Police chief Supt Mohd Mansor Mohd Nor said the search-and-rescue operation for the victims has been escalated using a special detection device to find and remove victims from a ravine. 
As of 8pm, two victims remained to be brought up from the ravine.
"After the victims are found, the rescue team will lift the bus to determine that no other victims had been thrown out of the bus or are trapped at the location of incident," he said.  
He said that among the 23 victims who were killed and had been winched up were Bangladesh, Thailand and China nationals.
  
He said a preliminary investigation revealed that the bus, which was descending from Genting Highlands, went out of control, skidded, hit a wall and plunged into the ravine.    
Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said a probe has been ordered to find out the reason behind the tragic accident.
Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chief executive Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal announced the formation of a special task force to orobe into the crash.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and survivors through Twitter tonight, and expressed hope that the rescue operation would be completed soon.


Read more: UPDATE - GENTING BUS TRAGEDY: Death toll climbs to 37 - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/font-color-red-update-genting-bus-tragedy-font-death-toll-climbs-to-37-1.341423#ixzz2ccD0yXZW


ORIGINAL POSTING

This is just in via NST alert,

NST 21/08 : Genting Bus Tragedy: Rescuers confirmed 33 people died while 16 others injured in crash. Rescue work still ongoing.

I have to admit that I was shocked when I saw the death counts of this tragedy.

Here is an early report of the crash by BBC -

Malaysia crash: Many feared dead as bus plunges into ravine

My heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their life in this tragedy.

My prayers for those who were injured.

I hope to monitor for the latest on this disaster and will update this posting accordingly.

23 comments:

  1. It's unclear who the victims are.

    Foreign tourists?

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  2. The 33 death was not confirmed, just feared.

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  3. What a tragedy!

    Deepest condolence to the families of deceased.

    If there is anything that we, Malaysians can do to help please let us know.

    To Muslims who died in this accident.. AlFatihah.

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  4. News in NST much more detailed than Star.

    I am switching online papers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have stopped buying the star after ge13 and switched to nst since then.

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    2. Me too but I still browse Star online, till yesterday. Delete URL oredi.

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    3. Star online is full of rubbish and its print edition is good as shrimp paste (belacan) wrappers....

      And if you are a DAP member or supporter, The Star is YOUR paper even tho owned by MCA... ermmmm the Chinese do have a peculiar way of handling things.....

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    4. Ya, good for you anon 02:38 !!

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    5. When I am moving house I love to buy the STAR. Tebal dan bayak helai guna untuk bungkus botol2 dan glasswares, thats about all.

      Common fellas, who on earth these days have the time to flip papers? You can get all kinds of news (even life) from the internet - maybe so for those who are computer illiterates.

      Want to know about Genting accident? Just surf GENTING HIGHLANDS 37 dead one can see not only pictures but videos updated almost every HALF hour.

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  5. PAS version: they deserved to die because they wanted to go to a place of sin.

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    Replies
    1. Untuk membuat dosa tidak perlu pergi ke Genting. Duduk di rumah, kentuk kekunci computer dan mengumpat, caci seranah dan buat fitnah sudah dapat ganjaran dosa yang besar!

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    2. Ini semua UMNO punya "konspirasi"! Mereka suka lihat rakyat bukan Bumiputra mati....alah macam kes tembak menembak yang libatkan anak anak muda yang tidak "berdosa" tu!

      Tergamak sungguh PDRM...mereka kan pelajar kolej dari kolej 04 yang melahirkan pelajar cemerlang. Patut benar keluarga mereka ambil keputusan saman PDRM...Di-harapkan PDRM di-lain kesempatan...harus gunakan "baton" sahaja untuk mengelakkan kejadian yg tidak di-ingini!

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    3. Geez, can we NOT drag any political parties and/or sling any innuendos here? People are dead and their relatives are grieving, for crying out loud!

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    4. anon 01:53, you deserve to go to hell and put in the chamber of fire, death will come meet you soon.

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    5. PAS ideology is fatalistic, which means they think that all events happen by the grace of Allah who ultimately knows the reason for the event. But that doesn't stop them from speculating that any unfortunate event as the work of a God trying to 'right a wrong'. It is this very behavior that makes them seem 'holier than thou'.

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    6. Anon 08:45.

      I agree, this is another classic UMNO conspiracy, to divert public attention from the falling ringgit.

      See, why Najib didn't utter a word about it, let alone send condolences.

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    7. To those who drag politics into this, you are sick.

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    8. Anon 21:53,

      Are you referring to the predestination (qada') of Allah Most Wise and the actions of man (kasab)? No one can speculate about his own case, let alone judge about other people's fates and their misfortunes. Why? Because only One with perfect all-encompassing knowledge can ever ascertain the actual cause that results in a particular condition or occurrence. For example, I have recently developed a chronic headache and wondering what caused it. It could be that (1) i have not slept well for the past 3 nights of gambling or (2) i had been drinking more alcohol lately or (3) that i could be suffering from a disease inherited from my grand father on my mother's side. Who could tell for certain? I know that nothing happens except that Allah wills it; but He approves of good actions and disapproves of evil initiatives - and there are a 100 types and textures of human motivation lying between absolute white and black.
      The point here is: Who has the authority and the wisdom to judge the actual cause for another's misfortune? Especially in a mass tragedy like this bus accident involving over 50 individuals of various nationalities from different walks of life? Who among any "holy grouping" could be holier than the suffering dead and dying. It is only proper to patiently await the Day of Judgement when all souls will be laid bare before God with every tiny detail revealed. It is best to let the Merciful Creator judge our behaviours and hope in His forgiveness for our own daily sins.
      But He has pronounced in His Book that gambling and alcohol bring nothing but suffering and enmity between human beings, so it is safe for us ordinary people to judge that casinos and bars are best kept at a safe distance from us and our families. That would only be the right thing to do in the face of economic wrongdoing.

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  6. Genting Casino & Resorts should cover all the costs and expenses related to the victims of the tragedy as a matter of public ethics for the decades of profits they have reaped from the masses who thronged there.

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  7. A sad new indeed.

    :( sarah

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  8. According to NST, this was what happened:

    ".. the bus driver started yelling profanities to a taxi driver who overtook the bus in a risky manner. The bus driver then overtook the taxi and started speeding at which time he hit the barrier and fell."

    Sad indeed. . .


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  9. It is OK, anyone had gone thru this must know who chinese are.
    This racist chinese thug in ex-tanah melayu singapura displays his brutal racist towards an old malay man.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEUf-kKjoxQ

    ReplyDelete