44 taken to hospitals after bus accident in Jurong West; LTA probing

SINGAPORE – A total of 44 people were taken to the hospitals after an accident involving two double-decker buses in Jurong West on the morning of Dec 14.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the accident slightly before 11am.

Upon SCDF's arrival, a person was trapped in the driver's seat of a bus, it said. The person was rescued using hydraulic rescue equipment, it added.

Forty-two passengers and two bus drivers were taken to the hospitals, the authorities said. Police said a 49-year-old bus driver is assisting with ongoing investigations.

Bus service 98, operated by Tower Transit, had rear-ended an SBS Transit-run bus service 99, which was stationary, at 10.54am in Jurong West Avenue 1, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Facebook post at about 2.10pm.

Those who were injured have been taken to the hospitals and are receiving medical attention, LTA said, adding that it and both transport operators are investigating the accident.

LTA said: "We would like to apologise for the hurt and distress caused by this accident."

When ST arrived at the scene at around 12.30pm, the police have cordoned off the accident site. SCDF personnel were also there.

Some of the injured were being attended to at a shelter near a HDB block.

A person was seen taken to an ambulance on a stretcher.

Madam Gao, 63, who saw the aftermath of the accident at around 11.30am, told ST that she saw three passengers being attended to. Two of them were laying on a grass patch, and another was near a pavilion.

Madam Rosie Lian was at a nearby coffee shop around 11am when she heard a loud sound.

The 71-year-old, said she went to check out the scene about 30 minutes later, and saw many injured people, including an elderly woman whose nose was bleeding and a man with his head bandaged.

Madam Peh Li, 72, who also heard the loud sound from her HDB flat in Block 425, said she saw an elderly man bleeding from his mouth, as well as a family of four sitting on a grass patch with wounds on their faces and legs.

A photo of the aftermath of the accident shows the window shield of one of the buses badly damaged, with glass shattered. The glass at the back of the other bus was also smashed.

At least three police cars, two ambulances, two SCDF vehicles and two tow trucks can be seen at the accident site.

At 12.18pm, transport operator Tower Transit said in a Facebook post that it is aware of an incident involving bus service 98.

It said that the affected passengers are receiving medical assessment and care, adding that “our priority is the safety and well-being of those involved”.

Passengers who were on board and require assistance may contact Tower Transit on 1800 248 0950, or by e-mail at feedback@towertransit.sg, Tower Transit said.

SBS Transit said in a Facebook post at 2.13pm that passengers may contact them at 1800 287 2727, or by e-mail at customercare@sbstransit.com.sg

In a Facebook post at about 5.30pm, Jurong Central SMC MP Xie Yao Quan said he had visited the accident scene, was grateful to the first responders who attended to the injured.

He added that the buses have been towed away, and Jurong West Avenue 1 remains passable to traffic.

Bus services are also running normally, he said.

"I am glad to note that LTA and both operators have commenced investigations into the accident, and I look forward to their findings," he said.

"We must continue to keep the public bus system safe and reliable for all commuters."

West Coast-Jurong West GRC MP Hamid Razak said those who were affected and needed help can contact him at hamid.razak@pap.org.sg or his colleagues.

"My thoughts are with all passengers, drivers, and families affected. Residents from Jurong Spring, the wider Jurong West, and Taman Jurong may have been on board, and such incidents can be distressing even when injuries are not severe," he wrote on Facebook.

NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and National Transport Workers' Union Executive Secretary Yeo Wan Ling said the union is working closely with the two bus companies and relevant authorities, and have reached out to its affected members to offer support.

"Our immediate concern is for the well-being of everyone involved," she said. "We wish all who were affected a smooth and speedy recovery."

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

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