MUAR (BERNAMA) - A bus driver and two women passengers were killed in a collision involving an express bus and two lorries at the 142km mark of the North-South Highway (south-bound) near the Pagoh exit on Sunday afternoon (June 3).

Shuaib K. K. Mohamed Unny, 50, from Kampung Kurnia Jaya in Perak, and the two unidentified passengers in their 20s and 50s died on the spot.

The passengers' identities could not be ascertained as their travel documents were not found in the bus. The crash occurred at 1.15pm.

Muar police chief ACP Zaharudin Rasip said initial investigations revealed the container lorry which was carrying pallets from the Pagoh toll heading to Kuala Lumpur was believed to have collided with the tanker lorry.

The impact caused the container lorry driver to lose control of the vehicle, which skidded and overturned in the middle of the road.

A bus ferrying 27 passengers, which was travelling from Johor Bahru towards Kuala Lumpur, collided with the container load which had fallen off the lorry, he said in a statement.

Zaharudin added that 22 bus passengers sustained slight injuries and were taken to the Muar Hospital. The bodies of the bus driver and two female passengers were also taken to the hospital.

The driver of the container lorry suffered a wrist injury and was taken to hospital.

At the time of the accident, there was heavy traffic in both directions and the weather was good, Zaharudin said.

Muar Fire and Rescue Station chief Marzuki Ismail said 13 firefighters in three engines from the station, as well as 10 firefighters from the Bukit Gambir Fire and Rescue Station, were dispatched to the scene of the crash.