Ruthful Tragedy of 10.10.10

REMBAU: While everyone else was eager to witness a Malay Warrior in a Mythical Palace wedding of Malaysian's first astronaut, Dato' Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and his wife Datin Harlina Mohd Yunos, however, at 6.50pm sharp, Malaysian was brought to shock when an express bus from Malacca to Kuala Lumpur recklessly hit onto the guardrail and crashed into five oncoming vehicles in the opposite lane at Km223.2 of the North South Expressway near Simpang Ampat, yesterday, resulted in twelve dead bodies and over forty people severely injured.

This melancholy October, 10th, 2010 tragedy emerged a great chaos among Malaysian and this was the worst road fatal accident ever happened this year in Malaysia.

A Plus traffic control centre spokesman said the accident occurred at about 6km from the Simpang Ampat toll near Alor Gajah, Malacca.

"The middle and left lanes for the south bound traffic were blocked by the vehicles involved in the accident while the right lane fr the north-bound traffic was closed to facilitate emergency works at the scene," he added. (The Star, Oct 11th, 2010)

One of those affected, Md Razel Sarmin, 38, the driver of the Honda City, said he was on the fast lane of the expressway heading to Pontian in Johor from Kuala Lumpur when he saw the Delima Express bus hurtling into his path from the opposite site of the expressway.

"The bus crashed into Toyota Hiace van which spinned several times. I managed to avoid the bus, but my car grazed the back of the van.

"My seven family members and I in the car then stopped at the side of the expresswat. We saw bodies all over the road.

"I saw the driver of the van hanging from the driver's side window and the Delima Express bus was blocking all three lanes of the highway heading to Alor Gajah." (New Straits Times, Oct 11th, 2010)

The accident cause a traffic jam stretching for more than 25km along the expressway. Of the 12 who died, eight were believed to be passengers from the express bus. One of them was decapitated. Two others were from a MyVi, which was crushed by the bus, and another from a Honda Accord.

PLUS officials had to divert motorists at the Pedas/Linggi toll plaza as the south bound lanes were impassable to traffic. (The Star, Oct 11th, 2010)

The accident victims were sent to the Malacca, Alor Gajah, Jasin, Tuanku Jaafar and Tampin hospitals. (New Straits Time, Oct 11th, 2010)

Date October, 10th, had carved it's own tragedy in the year 2010 despite it is the so-called prosperous date that brings much happiness and luck to most people.