Cabbie, two passengers met fiery end as NGV taxi catches fire in Merlimau crash

JASIN: A taxi driver and two elderly passengers met a fiery end in a horrific blaze after the NGV-powered taxi caught fire in a crash at Kampung Lanchang along Jalan Jasin in Merlimau here this morning.

Jasin district police chief DSP Ahmad Jamil Radzi said taxi driver S. Subbramaniam, 71, along with passengers Husali Umar, 84, and wife Mastura Said, 63, died at the scene in the mishap that occurred at about 9 am.

"The accident is believed to have occurred when Subbramaniam lost control of the Proton Iswara taxi before it skidded and hit the wall of a bridge.

"The car then burst into flames with all three victims still trapped inside.

"The fire was believed to have ignited from a leak in the natural gas vehicle (NGV) tank installed in the taxi," he said in a statement here today.

Ahmad Jamil said all three charred bodies were taken to Jasin Hospital for autopsy with the case investigated under Section 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987.

-- BERNAMA