The cabinet today decided that an independent board of inquiry be set up to investigate Monday's Cameron Highlands bus crash which killed 27 people, Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha said.

He said the board would also look into the overall structure of commercial vehicle operations.

The chairman and members of the board would be appointed after the ministry sought the advice of the Attorney-General's Chambers, he told reporters at his office here.

Kong said the prime minister was saddened by the incident and the cabinet was "very concerned".

Twenty-five Thai tourists and the Malaysian driver and tourist guide were killed when a double-decker bus coming down from Cameron Highlands crashed onto the divider and overturned at Km15 of the Cameron Highlands-Simpang Pulai Road in what is regarded as the worst road accident in Malaysian history.

Those responsible will be prosecuted

Ten Thai tourists were injured in the accident which occurred at 11.40am as the bus was heading from Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur where the tourists were to have boarded a flight back to Bangkok.

Kong said the board would look into the coordination and responsibility of not only the licensing body but also the operator and the permit holder.

"Even the conditions set for the operator, the type of commercial vehicle, the competency of the driver and whether the company had complied with the conditions in the permit," he said.

If the board found any violation of the conditions, those responsible would be prosecuted, he said.

- Bernama