KUALA LUMPUR: Two Chinese nationals died on Saturday (Jun 29) after the tour bus they were in landed on its side while descending from Malaysia’s Genting Highlands.
The accident happened at around 11am on Saturday.
The bus, which was on its way to Kuala Lumpur, skidded, hit a road divider and flipped on its side.
Bernama news agency reported that the 32-year-old bus driver did not have a driving licence. He had 27 previous traffic summonses for various offences, according to Bentong police chief Zaiham Mohd Kahar.
There were 21 people on board the bus – 18 Chinese nationals, the bus driver and two tour guides.
According to Zaiham, the two men who died at the scene were identified as Zhang Ping, 58, and Wang Shuhong, 49. Both suffered head injuries.
The other Chinese passengers, along with the bus driver and the two guides, were taken to hospital.
Resorts World Genting said in a Facebook post that the tour bus was owned by a third-party operator, and that the tourists were from Yunnan, China.
The accident has sparked calls for the local transport industry to tighten safety measures.
“This tragedy once again highlighted the importance of road safety which has become a major safety issue in the country,” said Dr Lee Lam Thye, founder and chairman of Alliance for a Safe Community.
“The question that needs to be asked is whether all parties and stakeholders will work together to prevent more tragedies and subsequently to achieve zero accidents,” he told Bernama.
