The Transport Ministry has launched a probe into a horrific road crash involving two buses, van and two cars at the 223km of the North-South Expressway near the Simpang Ampat toll plaza, which claimed 15 lives yesterday.

Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha said he had instructed the Road Transport Department (RTD), Road Safety Department (RSD) and Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) to carry out the probe.

"The express bus involved in the accident is new and was registered in 2007. Initial investigations revealed that the bus had also undergone regular inspections at Puspakom, with the latest being in May.

"However, we will conduct further investigation on the bus' steering and brake system," he told reporters after visiting survivors of the crash at Tuanku Jaafar Hospital in Seremban today.

Also present were Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan, RTD director-general Solah Mat Hassan and RSD director-general Suret Singh.

Kong said the ministry was in the midst of amending the Road Transport Act to tighten enforcement, especially against drivers who were under the influence of drugs.

Police: Very experienced driver

In Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Aman traffic police chief Abdul Aziz Yusof said the police were also in the midst of investigating the case and examining the black box installed in the express bus to determine the cause of the crash.

"Right now, we only know that the bus skidded to the opposite lane before it rammed into several other vehicles," he said.

He was speaking to reporters at a presentation ceremony where Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, handed over 19 vehicles to the police at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman today.

Abdul Aziz said initial investigations revealed the 52-year-old bus driver, who was among those killed in the accident, had a clean traffic record and was described as a "very experienced driver".

Abdul Aziz said, neither the bus nor the bus company had any record of serious traffic offences.

"So, let's not point fingers at anyone. Let's look at the findings and determine who or what exactly caused the accident," he said.

Abdul Aziz said based on previous records, several accidents had also occurred at the same location.

He said in the 6.47pm accident, the Delima express bus was heading to Kuala Lumpur from Melaka and ferrying 40 passengers when it went out of control, flipped over to the south-bound side of the expressway and rammed into a van, two cars and another bus.

'Shocked, bus' roof missing'

Most bus passengers were sleeping when it crashed into four other vehicles at Km223 North-South Expressway near Simpang Ampat toll plaza yesterday.

Several passengers who cheated death were sent hurtling from the bus' roof which cracked open while others were trapped inside the vehicle.

Liow Sin Ren,23, said he was sleeping and did not know what happened until the bus overturned.

"I felt pain all over the body and was shocked to see that the bus' roof missing," he added.

Nur Najlaa Aquilah Mohd Ghazali, 19, who suffered hand injuries said she was semi-conscious after the bus spun out of control.

"I knocked into something and my head felt dizzy. Then I saw blood all over my clothes," the Universiti Malaya student said at Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital today.

Student Tew Chi Ling,18, said that she was wide awake and saw the accident happened before her eyes.

"I saw the bus trying to overtake another vehicle but failed. It swerved, hit a divider before hurtling and crashing to the other side of the highway.

"Several passengers were seen strewn along the highway while some were stuck inside the bus," she said.

'It was a gruesome sight'

The Kolej Bandar Utama student said that she was still shocked and traumatised by the horror crash.

Nur Shaila Abdullah, 25, said everything was quiet before the acccident occured as most passengers were fast asleep.

"The bus was already speeding as it exited Ayer Keroh toll plaza. I heard a loud bang and then the bus swerved, spun and overturned," she said at Melaka Hospital.

Nur Afiqah Abd Rahim, 18, said she was sleeping when she was awoken by a loud bang and then realised that the bus had overturned.

"One pakcik helped me get out via the window. I did not dare to look as it was a gruesome sight.

Welfare Services Department (JKM) bus driver Umar Yusop, 31, said that he saw an object appearing out of nowhere and did not have time to brake.

"Later I found out that it was a bus from the other side of the highway. My thoughts were on the safety of my passengers."

Umar who had serious injuries was thankful that all 30 passengers comprising armed forces veterans and their families were safe.

Ex-soldier Mohamed Radzi Abd Wahab, 53, who was on the JKM bus said that accident was gruesome as some of the victims had severed heads and arms.

Fifteen people were killed while 40 others were injured in the crash that involved two buses, a van and two cars.

- Bernama