PETALING JAYA: A devastating road accident on the North-South Expressway near Sungkai has resulted in two fatalities and left two others hospitalized following a collision between commercial vehicles.
The tragedy occurred at KM372.1 of the southbound carriageway when a 10-tonne truck transporting eggs crashed into the rear of a stationary cement-laden trailer, according to Perak Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad.
Emergency services received the distress call at noon and rushed to the scene where they discovered four occupants in the egg delivery vehicle.
According to New Straits Times, the impact proved fatal for two male passengers in their twenties, who were thrown from the truck and declared dead by medical personnel at the accident site.
The remaining two victims, aged in their thirties and forties, sustained minor injuries and received immediate medical attention before being transported to hospital by emergency responders.
Sabarodzi explained that rescue teams implemented the SAVER (Self-Adaptive Vehicle Extinguishing and Rescue) protocol upon arrival, prioritizing urgent medical care for the injured victims while securing the accident scene.
The deceased were subsequently handed over to police for investigation procedures, while authorities coordinated traffic management and road clearance operations.
A seven-member fire crew from Slim River Fire and Rescue Station concluded their emergency response operations by 1:50pm.
The accident caused significant traffic disruption, with PLUS Malaysia reporting 15-kilometer congestion following the collision. By 2:22pm, cleanup efforts remained ongoing, though authorities had reopened the middle lane to ease traffic flow.