THREE people were burnt to death after the car they were travelling in crashed into a garbage truck at the Bercham Industrial Area, near Ipoh, last night.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the department received an emergency call at 8.05pm and a team from the Ipoh Fire and Rescue Station, assisted by the Tambun station and volunteer firefighters in Bercham, were deployed to the scene.

“Upon arrival, the team found the Proton Perdana had caught fire and was about 95% destroyed.

“The crash is believed to have occurred after the car rammed into the front part of the garbage truck, which also caught fire and sustained about 50% damage,” he said in a statement.

According to Sabarodzi, all of the victims were discovered inside the car when the garbage truck was moved using a crane.

The firefighting operation ended at 11.35pm. The victims have yet to be identified. 

Meanwhile, Ipoh district police chief Yahaya Hassan said a preliminary investigation revealed that the car travelling from Tanjung Rambutan had lost cost control and collided with a garbage truck coming from the opposite direction while rounding a bend.

“As a result of the collision, the car became stuck beneath the garbage truck and caught fire. The 20-year-old male driver, along with his brother and cousin, aged 16, died at the scene.

“The garbage truck driver and four assistants, on the other hand, escaped unhurt,” he said in a statement.

He urged those who witnessed the incident to contact the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division chief Koo Boon Kuat at 016-4173222 to assist in the investigations.

The case is being investigated under section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987. – Bernama, November 14, 2023.