Gerik: The victims and next of kin of the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students who were involved in the fatal accident on East-West Highway (JRTB), near Gerik on June 9 are asked to contact the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) to coordinate their insurance claims.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, a statement from APAD advises the individuals involved to reach out to agency officer Ameera Mohd Ali via 03-2603 6763 or email at [email protected] for further information, and they can also seek assistance at the nearest APAD office.

Based on the agency’s records, 37 of the victims are from Terengganu, four from Kelantan, and one each is from Kuala Lumpur and Johor. “To facilitate the process of verifying information, APAD is also working with UPSI to contact all victims and next of kin involved. APAD expresses its sympathy and sorrow over the tragedy that claimed 15 lives and injured several other UPSI students. APAD is committed to ensuring that the welfare of the victims and next of kin is given due attention through a fair insurance claim process,” the statement said.

In addition, APAD informed that the agency monitors the safety aspects of land public transport operations by ensuring compliance with the Service Level Requirements and license conditions that must be adhered to by all operators. In the early morning incident, 15 UPSI students died when a bus, specially chartered from Jertih to return to the university’s main campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, was involved in an accident at JRTB, Gerik.

The accident left 33 other individuals injured, including the bus driver and attendant as well as the driver and three passengers of a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).