Four people were killed while another four were injured in a major accident involving 11 vehicles along the East Coast Highway Phase 1 (LPT1) near Lanchang, heading towards Kuantan, on Monday night.
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department Operations Assistant Director Mohd Salahuddin Isa said the department received an emergency call regarding the crash at about 10.44pm.
The vehicles involved were two Proton Sagas, two Perodua Myvis, a Toyota Alphard, an express bus, a Proton S70, a tanker lorry, a Honda CR-V, a Toyota Hilux and a Perodua Aruz.
Mohd Salahuddin said three victims in the Proton S70 were killed, identified as its 32-year-old driver Muhammad Nazatullah Nazmi, 32-year-old passenger Nur Atiqah Sofiya Mohd Kazwan, and a child.
“The fourth fatality was an adult Chinese man who was travelling in the Honda CR-V,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Four other victims sustained injuries in the crash, including two men who were trapped inside the tanker lorry and Honda CR-V, a woman travelling in the Toyota Hilux and a man who suffered minor injuries while in a Proton Saga.
Meanwhile, all 30 passengers on the express bus escaped unharmed, while occupants of the Toyota Alphard, Perodua Aruz, both Perodua Myvis and another Proton Saga were also reported safe.
Eight firefighters from the Mentakab Fire and Rescue Station (BBP), assisted by two fire engines, arrived at the scene at about 11.24pm, around 40 minutes after the emergency call was received.
Firefighters used specialised equipment to free two men trapped inside the Honda CR-V and tanker lorry before handing the injured victims over to Health Ministry personnel for further treatment.
A Temerloh fire and rescue team comprising seven personnel later arrived to assist in freeing another person trapped inside the Honda CR-V. The victim was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene by Health Ministry personnel and handed over to police.
Firefighters from the Karak Fire and Rescue Station also assisted in extracting three victims trapped inside the Proton S70 using specialised equipment.
All three were successfully removed from the vehicle but were pronounced dead by Health Ministry personnel before their bodies were handed over to police for further action.
The operation was brought under control at 2.48am, after firefighters carried out clean-up and monitoring work to ensure the area was safe.
The operation officially ended at 2.50am, with all personnel and vehicles returning to their respective stations.
