Driver killed, 15 Chinese tourists injured in Genting Highlands bus crash

GENTING HIGHLANDS: A bus driver was killed and 15 China nationals were injured after a tour bus heading downhill from the Genting Highlands resort here crashed halfway through its journey today.
It is believed that the bus that was carrying 27 passengers, all said to be Chinese tourists returning to the hotels in Kuala Lumpur, was descending the highland road when the bus driver, Tan Ching Kok, 50, of Kampar, lost control of the vehicle at a sharp bend at KM17.2 close to a security checkpoint at 7pm.
The bus is believed to have slammed into a divider barricade before coming to a halt on its side in the middle of the highway.
Bentong police chief Supt Mohamad Mansor Mohd Nor said Tan, who was trapped in the bus, was killed on the spot while 15 injured passengers were taken to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for treatment.
Firemen who arrived the scene within minutes rescued the injured and managed to extricate the trapped body of the bus driver.
The remaining passengers who escaped injury returned to their respective hotels in Kuala Lumpur.
The downhill stretch from the highland resort has over the years earned a notorious reputation of being accident-prone especially for heavy vehicles. There have been a dozen accidents in the past, mainly tour buses that resulted in dozens of passengers killed and injured in similar mishaps.