GERIK, June 10 — Police investigations have revealed that the deadly crash involving a Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student bus was caused by a rear-end collision with a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), believed to be a Perodua Alza.
The impact led the bus, carrying 42 students, to overturn along KM53 of the East-West Highway in Banun, Gerik, early Monday morning. Perak Police Chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin confirmed that the incident tragically claimed the lives of 15 students aged between 21 and 23, with post-mortem procedures currently underway.
The remaining 27 students sustained injuries, alongside the 40-year-old bus driver and his 54-year-old co-driver. The MPV’s occupants — a couple and their two young children — were also injured and sent to Baling Hospital for treatment.
Authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident, examining technical faults, possible negligence, and the driving history of those involved, in cooperation with JPJ, Puspakom, and MIROS. Noor Hisam noted that the accident occurred on a dark, winding, and hilly stretch of road, adding that it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions pending further analysis.
