Tuesday, May 25, 2021
On Monday evening, May 24, 2021, two light rail transit (LRT) passenger trains collided in an underground tunnel in Kuala Lumpur, injuring hundreds of passengers. According to Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong, nearly 213 people have been hurt due to the collision with 47 severely injured and 166 suffering light injuries.
He also mentioned that the 47 highly injured individuals were immediately sent to the hospital. Assistant Commissioner Zainal Abdullah, Head of Kuala Lumpur’s main police station at Dang Wangi said in a statement that the driverless passenger train collided head on with an empty, manually driven train travelling from the other direction at 8.45 PM.
It was informed that the head-on collision between the trains took place on a track near the Petronas Twin Towers and next-door Kampung Baru station along Malaysia’s busiest train line, the Kelana Jaya LRT line. According to reports, the driver of the train failed to detect the other train because of a miscommunication at the control centre. Technically, the two trains are not allowed to be on the same track.
Several media documents from the site of the accident showed ambulances at the scene and emergency personnel attending to those with light injuries. Others were being carried out into ambulances from Avenue K, a mall with direct access to the underground LRT line across the street from the Petronas Twin Towers. People were found lying on the floor of a train carriage. Shattered glass and crushed portions of train were also seen in some footage.
Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa took to social media and shared that one of the trains was empty while the other was filled with passengers. Most passengers were completely disoriented, thrown out and fell on the floor. He mentioned that though the injuries were severe no death has been caused.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin also shared in his social media that the crash was serious and instructed the transport minister and (train) operator to conduct an in-depth probe to find out the cause of the accident. LRT operator Prasarana Malaysia added that the team is mobilising help and rescue assistance. He asked everyone to stay calm and follow instructions and apologised for the worry or anxiety caused.
Tags: kuala lumpur, LRT, train accident
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