IPOH: Police have received a dashboard camera recording believed to have captured the tragic crash involving a bus that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students along the East-West Highway in Gerik today.
Perak police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said the crucial evidence was handed over to investigating officers.
“We will record a statement from the owner of the dashcam soon. Based on the video, the bus was seen speeding before crashing into the road barrier, which then pierced through the front of the vehicle,“ he told reporters at the Forensic Department of Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here today.
He said the impact of the collision caused passengers on the left side of the bus to sustain critical injuries.
“Passengers seated on the left side of the bus were directly affected as the guardrail struck that side of the vehicle. Many of the injured also complained of pain in their left shoulders as they were thrown from the right side to the left,“ he said.
The few-second clip, which went viral on social media, showed the bus overtaking the vehicle before losing control, swerving erratically to the left and right.
Noor Hisam said that after the bus scraped against the road barrier, it veered off course and became lodged, preventing the vehicle from plunging into the ravine at the crash site.
He said that probe into the cause of the incident is ongoing, although police have yet to receive statements from the surviving victims as they are still traumatised and not ready to be interviewed.
Based on his inspection at the scene this morning, he admitted that road conditions are among the key factors being considered in the investigation.
“The dark road conditions and absence of lane markings were among the contributing factors to the crash. Special attention is needed from the relevant authorities to assess the safety of the road, as there were no visible markings on the surface,“ he said, stressing that the investigation will consider all angles, including the possibility of human error and technical malfunction.
Meanwhile, the post-mortem examinations on all 15 victims were completed this afternoon, with 13 conducted at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh and two at Gerik Hospital.
Two victims were transported back to Terengganu from Gerik Hospital at 6.25 pm, upon the families’ request, while the remaining 13 bodies from Ipoh are expected to be sent home around midnight tonight.
He said police contingents from Perak and Kelantan will escort the vehicles carrying the bodies.
