Tour bus overturns after hitting road divider

The bus overturned at about 3.45pm yesterday, obstructing the highway linking Karak to Kuala Lumpur and causing a traffic jam. It was righted and moved to the side of the road by about 6.30pm.
The bus overturned at about 3.45pm yesterday, obstructing the highway linking Karak to Kuala Lumpur and causing a traffic jam. It was righted and moved to the side of the road by about 6.30pm. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

A Singapore tour bus carrying 12 passengers overturned on its way back from Genting Highlands yesterday afternoon.

Nine of the 12 passengers, who were all from Singapore, were hurt in the accident but none critically, said a spokesman for Grassland Express & Tours.

Seven of the injured passengers and the bus driver were taken to Bentong Hospital Besar, while two were taken to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur.

The Grassland double-decker bus, which overturned at about 3.45pm, lay across at least two lanes of the highway linking Karak to Kuala Lumpur. It obstructed all lanes of the highway except the emergency lane, causing a traffic jam that stretched more than 9km, said Malaysian newspaper The Star.

Grassland said its representatives were at the two hospitals to check on the passengers, and their families have been contacted. The three who escaped unscathed are on their way back to Singapore, it added.

The Malaysian authorities were seen trying to clear debris at the accident site, and injured passengers were spotted sitting on the road. The bus was righted and moved to the side of the road by about 6.30pm, the New Straits Times reported.

The driver is believed to have lost control of the bus and skidded before hitting the divider and overturning, said Bernama, quoting a spokesman for the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 01, 2016, with the headline Tour bus overturns after hitting road divider. Subscribe