5 killed, 7 seriously injured in collision

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The two vehicles badly damaged after the collision.

The two vehicles badly damaged after the collision.

BINTULU: Five people perished while seven others were seriously injured in an accident involving two vehicles along KM24 Bintulu-Miri coastal road yesterday morning.

Bintulu deputy police chief DSP Lim Kwai Seng, who confirmed the case, said the accident occurred around 7am when a van coming from Bintulu town collided with another van travelling from Samalaju.

He said the van from Bintulu with 10 people on board including its driver was moving along a narrow road when it unknowingly entered the opposite lane, causing it to crash into another van that carried two persons including its driver.

According to Lim, the driver of that van and his passenger were killed on the spot.

They were identified as Wong Sing Sung, 50 (driver) and Tiang Ming Chuo, 46. Both sustained serious head injuries.

Meanwhile, the driver of the van coming from Bintulu identified as Johnny Yek Tzu Lian, 24, sustained severe head injuries and is in critical condition, one passenger was killed on the spot while two others died on arrival at Bintulu Hospital. All passengers are from China.

The three passengers who died were identified as Huang Chong Jun, 46; Lu Tao, 46; and Zhou Geng Liang, 45.

He said six other passengers in the van were seriously injured and are currently receiving treatment at the hospital. They are Liu Zheng Zhong, 37; Liu Gang, 40; Tang Gui Weng, 48; Ding Yuan Kui, 42; Li Xian Sheng, 36 and Li Hui Long, 47.

Bintulu Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) personnel took about 50 minutes to extricate the victims from the wreckage.

Bintulu Bomba station chief Di-Hata Gobel said they received a distress call at 6.43am and the first fire engine with eight personnel arrived at the scene at 7.02am.

The case is investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.