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‘It veered off 90 degrees into the ravine’: Singaporean who survived Penang van crash recounts experience

As of Tuesday (Sep 26), two Singaporeans were still warded in hospital with broken bones. 

02:34 Min
Moments before a fatal accident where a van carrying Singaporean tourists in Penang plunged into a more than 6m-deep ravine on Sunday (Sep 24), there were signs that something was wrong. A tale of courage is emerging from the recent tragedy in Penang. Melissa Goh with more. 

PENANG: Moments before a fatal accident where a van carrying Singaporean tourists in Penang plunged into a more than 6m-deep ravine on Sunday (Sep 24), there were signs that something was wrong. 

Mr Koh Soon Heng witnessed the nightmare unfolding.

"The engine stalled a few times. The driver tried starting it and it moved suddenly,” he told CNA.

“I was in front, seated in the middle behind the driver. I could see it very clearly. The driver was about to hit the corners, then the van touched the curb and it veered off 90 degrees into the ravine.”

As the van flipped over, a power cable broke its fall. The van had also caught an old durian tree that prevented it from falling further down, he said.

Mr Koh recounted how he carefully crawled out to avoid being electrocuted. Ten others were trapped in the van, including the Malaysian driver. 

He and his wife sustained minor injuries on their arms and legs. 

RESCUING THE VICTIMS

Former Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer Poh Cheng Teck emerged as an unsung hero in the fatal crash.

Mr Poh, who spent more than 40 years in public service and retired earlier this month, was part of a bigger group of 29 Singaporeans, including the van passengers, who had gone on the week-long trip in Malaysia. 

When he received panicked calls from the victims trapped in the van, he sprang into action.

“My first instinct was to find a way down to get to the victims, but there was no rope so I quickly studied another way down,” Mr Poh told CNA.

He said he pulled three or four of them to safety before rescue workers arrived. Another female Singaporean, Elaine, and foreign workers who happened to be nearby, also helped.

By the time the rescue team arrived and brought the victims to safety over two hours, one passenger, 62-year-old Lee Kwee Yiam was pronounced dead. Her husband and two sons arrived in Penang to claim her body on Monday evening.

Mr Koh said he and his wife could hear Mdm Lee's desperate cries for help shortly after the crash, but they could not see her.

Mr Koh Soon Heng, who survived the van crash, being interviewed by CNA correspondent Melissa Goh.

It was through a stroke of luck that the incident did not have a worse outcome, retired SCDF officer Mr Poh said.

“If not for the durian tree that blocked the fall, the outcome would have been worse - we couldn't have reached the victims,” he said. 

WEEK-LONG HOLIDAY

Mdm Lee and her party, aged between 55 and 69, had been travelling for a week from Ipoh to Penang. At the tail-end of their road trip, they decided to have dinner at a hilltop restaurant in Balik Pulau, which is known for its scenic view of the island known locally as “Little Genting”. 

They then used the van service provided by the eatery, Bukit Genting Leisure Park Restaurant, which ferried them up the hill, then back down where their tour bus awaited.

Described by her friends as kind and generous, Mdm Lee's passing has left a painful void.

Mr Koh said: "She was a nice person. She bought pomelos, seven of them. She opened and gave them to anyone who wanted to eat it.”

As of Tuesday, two Singaporean women were still warded in a hospital in Penang with broken bones. One of them sustained multiple fractures. On Wednesday, her family was making arrangements for her to be flown home as soon as possible for treatment.

The other woman fractured both arms and injured her lungs and is currently intubated but is said to be in stable condition. While the rest of the Singaporean tourists have returned home, Mr Poh and two other Singaporeans decided to stay behind to assist the hospitalised victims.

The view from Bukit Genting Leisure Park Restaurant, where the van passengers had eaten before the accident.

“I will leave it to the families to decide what’s best. I can only assist and support their decision (like) whether to have the surgery done here,” said Mr Poh, adding that he wants to remain in Penang till each and every one of his friends is home safe.

DRIVER BEING TREATED 

The 61-year-old van driver is still being treated at the Penang General Hospital. The police are probing the case under reckless driving causing death and injuries. The van lifted up from the crash site has been sent for inspection.

If convicted, the offender may be jailed between two and 10 years, and fined between about US$1,000 to US$4,000. 

Owners of the hilltop restaurant that provided the van service declined to comment.

The eatery and the roads and pathways are private property and not maintained by the state or federal government.

Mr Wong Hon Wai, chairman of Penang State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee, told CNA that the incident was isolated. He added that the committee will ask the authorities to review the safety of the road, which is not maintained by the government.

The safety of tourists is of utmost importance, he said. “The authorities will check to see if there’s any breach of law.”

Source: CNA/ja(ca)

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