KUALA LUMPUR: It was the first time the teenagers were heading out of their hometown in Baling on an excursion.

A tragic bus accident, however, killed six of them and the coordinator of their group, at Genting Sempah,

Mohd Shazwan Mohd Nor, 16, from Kg Baru Baling, said survivors crawled out of the bus through the broken windows.

“We couldn’t help our friends because some of them were trapped and we were in pain ourselves,” he said last night at the HKL.

“It was the first time all of us were going to KL.”

Mohd Zairul Hafizat, 13, who was sleeping in the bus during the accident, said he woke up when the bus hit a section of the divider after taking a corner too sharply.

“It overturned onto the other side of the road,” he said, adding it was drizzling at the time.

Zairul’s brother Mohd Hafiz, who was sitting at the back of the bus, injured his arm and back.

All the teenagers, from the villages of Kg Baru Baling, Kg Pokok Setul and Kg Lalang, had arrived at Genting Highlands at 8am yesterday morning and were on their way to Kg Baru Subang to stay the night at a homestay before returning to Baling today.

Those admitted at the Selayang Hospital are Muhammad Fais Nasharuddin, 18, Ahmad Iswal Abd Halim, 15, Mohd Shamsuri, 15, Mohd Ajril Azizi Azhari, 15, Mohd Akram, 19, Mohd Hafifi Yahya, 19, Mohd Safwan Md Moktar, 20, Hafizudin Onan, 16, Muhammad Syakur Sulaiman, 19, Faiz Syazwan Azlan, 18 and Mohd Azfar, 18.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who visited the victims at the Selayang Hospital, told reporters that the ministry wanted a thorough investigation to be carried out by the police.

He also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased adding that the ministry would help to send the bodies back to their hometown for burial.

Bentong MP and Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, in expressing his sadness over the accident, said stern measures have to be taken to reduce accidents especially in ensuring that drivers adhere to the speed limit.

“This is a very shocking accident. We must cultivate good driving habits. There are no two ways about it,” he said.