The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department said it was alerted to the accident at around 5.30pm, which happened at Jalan Kelawat, Kota Belud.
“The accident involved a tourist bus which was travelling from Kota Kinabalu to Kota Belud,“ said the department in a statement.
According to the Star, the 18 tourists, as well as the driver sustained injuries of varying degrees.
“The injured victims were (treated on site) by the Emergency Medical Rescue Service and ambulance crew before they were sent to the Kota Belud Hospital for further treatment,“ said the department.
According to police, the bus driver was believed to have been under the influence of drugs.
Advertisement
When investigating officers arrived at the scene, they saw the 33-year-old driver throw an object into the drain, said Kota Belud police chief Mohd Zaidi Abdullah.
“Checks (of the item thrown by the driver into the drain) found a small red bag containing instruments to inhale the syabu drug and a small transparent packet with clear crystals believed to be methamphetamine (syabu).“
The driver’s urine and blood samples have also been taken, added Mohd Zaidi. The victims included the male driver, four men, six women, six girls and two boys.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Source: Bernama/ad(rw)
