A trailer that crushed a passenger car and claimed four lives on the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway (KLK) caught fire while recovery operations were underway on Sunday.
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations Division Assistant Director Mohd Salahuddin Isa said the blaze broke out when an excavator was attempting to move the overturned trailer from the accident scene.
According to him, the fire occurred only after firefighters had successfully extricated all victims trapped inside the severely damaged vehicle.
The tragic crash took place at about 4.30pm at Kilometre 43.2 of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway heading towards Karak in Bentong. Initial investigations indicate that the trailer, which was transporting wood dust, lost control while navigating a hilly bend before overturning and crashing onto a Honda City travelling in the left lane.
The impact proved fatal, with all four occupants trapped inside the car. They were pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
The victims have been identified as driver A Halim Hasoon, 55, Rozita Buang, 58, Norbahyah A Halim, 26, and one-year-old Nayla Afya Aizat.
The bodies were later transported to the Forensic Unit of Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital (HoSHAS) in Temerloh for post-mortem examinations.
The devastating incident has shocked many road users, highlighting the dangers posed by heavy vehicles travelling along winding and hilly stretches of highway. Authorities are continuing investigations into the cause of the crash.
