Tragic Accident on East–West Highway: UPSI Student Bus Crash Kills 15

Early on 9 June 2025 at approximately 1:10 a.m. local time, a bus contracted by UPSI students returning from the Aidiladha holiday broke down in control along the winding, downhill stretch of the East–West Highway (KM 53) near Tasik Banding, Gerik. It collided with a Perodua Alza minivan and overturned, landing on its right side.

Casualties:

• Confirmed deaths: 15 (13 at the scene, 2 later succumbed in hospitals) 

• Injured: 31 people, including the bus driver, attendant, and four minivan passengers—several in critical condition 

• Victims: All 14 deceased were UPSI students aged between 21 and 23; the 15th was a bus attendant

Rescue efforts:
Emergency personnel responded swiftly after receiving the distress call at 1:10 a.m., arriving by 2:11 a.m. Firefighters used hydraulic cutters to extract trapped passengers. The injured were sent to hospitals in Gerik, Ipoh, Taiping, and Baling.

Initial findings & evidence:

• Preliminary investigations suggest the bus lost control during a rear-end collision with the minivan 

• Survivors reported hearing the driver sounding "angry" just before the wreck, followed by a burnt-rubber smell 

• Dashcam footage showing the vehicle speeding and swerving before flipping is being used to help determine the cause 

Aftermath & response:

• A special task force has been set up involving the police, Road Transport Department (JPJ), Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research to lead investigations

• UPSI administration confirmed the bus was privately rented, not university-operated. They have initiated on-site assistance and support for victims’ families 

• The Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development has mobilized psychosocial support for affected families 

• High-level condolences and calls for improved safety measures have come from PM Anwar Ibrahim, the Sultan of Perak, and the Higher Education Ministry