THE Transport Ministry, through the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), has suspended the operations of a bus express company after a teenager died while charging his phone while onboard.
Its minister Anthony Loke said the company involved had been suspended immediately for further investigations.
This follows the death of an 18-year-old passenger who was found electrocuted while his bus was waiting for other passengers at the Penang Sentral public transport hub.
The victim, Mohamad Nur Asymawi Jasmadi screamed before he was found slumped in his seat.
North Seberang Perai district police head Anuar Abdul Rahman said police received a call about the incident at 730pm.
"Initial investigations revealed burn marks on the victim's left fingers, suspected to be from an electric shock while he was charging his phone in a socket near the bus seating area."
Police concluded that the victim was electrocuted due to the melted condition of the smartphone's cable end and the overheated state of the phone.
The victim had boarded an express bus bound for Kuala Lumpur Sentral around 6 pm and was also seen foaming at the mouth.
A witness immediately called an ambulance upon realising the situation.
"The ambulance arrived at about 6.20pm, and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene," said Anuar.
Loke said the Transport Ministry takes the incident very seriously. A special task force consisting of the JPJ, APAD, and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research will be set up to investigate the cause of the incident to ensure such incidents do not recur. - November 3, 2024
