Volunteers provide aid to the bus accident's family members

More than 30 volunteers from the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu-Chi Foundation of Malaysia provided various assistance to family members of the victims of the bus accident at Genting Highlands since last night.

Its chief coordinator for the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor branch, Ong Hok Ki, 54, said the volunteers, who mostly comprised housewives and professionals such as medical experts and businessmen, had set up tents since 7pm last night at the grounds of Kuala Lumpur Hospital to provide assistance to the victims' families.

They had provided food, drinks as well as blankets, he told Bernama at the HKL mortuary, here today.

He said they had also provided moral support to the next of kins of those who had died in the accident so that they could accept the news calmly.

"For those belonging to the low-income group, we plan to provide financial assistance to ease their burden," he said.

Ong said that besides assistance provided at the HKL, the volunteers also gave similar assistance to families of the victims at three other hospitals in Sungai Buloh, Selayang and Bentong, Pahang.

"We began putting up the tents at about 7pm last night at HKL, and we will stay here until the completion of the autopsies on the victims who died in the accident," he said.

In the accident at 2.45pm yesterday, 37 people died after the express bus they were travelling in plunged 60 metres into a ravine at KM3.5 Jalan Genting Highlands, while 16 others were injured, 14 of whom were reported to be in critical condition.

Earlier, Deputy Director-General of Health, Datuk Dr S.Jeyaindran said the autopsies on the 37 bodies began at 11.20pm last night and expected to be completed by 9.30am today.