SLIM RIVER: Two men and a woman died while two others were injured when a car slammed into a parked army lorry on the North-South Expressway, causing the car to burst into flames upon impact.

In the 3pm incident, it is learnt that the army lorry had stopped at Km362.5 near Slim River to lay its canvas that was loose.

Slim River police chief Supt Mohd Ali Mat Nayan said the lorry with two personnel had stopped on the emergency lane.

"They got out of the truck to put back the canvas that had come loose," he said, adding that within minutes, a Proton Iswara travelling in the same north-bound direction skidded and crashed into the lorry.

"The car immediately burst into flames after it crashed," he said.
Three victims in the car were burnt to death while the fourth, 26-year old Lai Siew Foong, was admitted to the Slim River Hospital with head injuries.

One of the army personnel fractured both legs and was admitted to the Tapah Hospital. The other army personnel escaped unhurt as he was standing at the side of the vehicle.

The army lorry was sprayed with foam to avoid contact with the flames from the car.

Firemen removed the bodies from the car after the fire was put out. The charred bodies were sent to the Slim River Hospital for a post-mortem.

As at press time, the three who died had not been identified.

Traffic was at a crawl for more than two hours after the incident.