Blood Tragedy in Malaysia

IPOH: The driver of the tour bus which overturned and crashed along the Simpang Pulai-Kampung Raja road here on Monday, killing 27 and injuring 10 others, was driving fast before the accident happened, according to one of the three surviving male Thai victims.

Not conversant in English, Chirarot Bunthichinwiwatn, 43, had to be asked through hand signs as to what transpired moments before the crash.

Asked whether the bus was being driven fast, he nodded from his hospital bed at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here yesterday.

He also indicated that the whole thing happened within a split second.

Chirarot, still weak, also looked sad and stared at the ceiling when he was told that 27 people were killed in the accident.

When asked whether he would return to visit Cameron Highlands, Chirarot shook his head repeatedly.

He is being treated for body and leg injuries.

Meanwhile, one of the Thai tourists who cheated death in the bus crash claimed she saw smoke coming from the rear of the bus before it hit a divider.

Nasir Ismail, 51, father of Areena Nasir (also called Arrena Songserm), 19, told Bernama that his daughter had related that as the bus was going down a slope, she saw smoke coming from the back of the bus.

Nasir said Areena told him that the bus then hit a divider before landing in a ditch on the other side of the road.

Nasir, who was with his daughter at the hospital, said she only remembers crawling out of the bus.

She is being treated for bruises on her body and head.

“My daughter told me she could still see the smoke after the accident. She, however, could not say for sure whether the bus was being driven at breakneck speed while going down the slope.” Nasir said he was grateful that his daughter was safe.

She is a third-year law student at Ealailak University in Nakhon Sithamarat.

For Aida Mohammad, a tourist officer from Hatyai, grief turned to relief when two of her Thai family members, who were initially listed as dead, were actually being treated at the hospital here.

“I was so grateful to God when I found out that the two family members were alive.” She is related to Darunee Songserm, 59, and Areena, who were in the bus.

The 36-year-old said she got to know about the accident, involving her sister and her niece, while she was watching TV3’s news bulletin at home.

Aida immediately rushed down from Pattani with her nephew, Faisal Ismail, 40, (Darunee’s son) and Arrena’s father, Nasir.

The three arrived at the hospital about 2am yesterday and was relieved to learn that their family members were alive.

Darunee is in the intensive care unit.