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A tourist van crashed into a barrier in Genting Highlands on Feb. 8, killing seven out of 15 people on board.

The eight survivors were all sent to local hospitals for medical rescue.

According to #Sin Chew Daily the accident happened at around 1pm, near the 4.8km mark of Jalan Genting Highlands, when the van lost control and slammed into a barrier.

Driver was among the fatalities

Sin Chew reported that it was suspected that the loss of control was due to the driver's heart attack.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson said the driver was among the fatalities, and most people on board were from Penang.

Photos reveal aftermath

Various photos of the accident's aftermath were posted online.

One showed belongings strewn across the road.

Another showed a man motionless.

Another photo showed six body bags on the road behind an emergency vehicle.

Woman survivor screams at passers-by for help

According to Sin Chew, an Indonesian security officer and a Nepalese farm worker were nearby when they heard a loud bang.

When they approached the scene, they saw passengers lying on the ground and the security guard heard a woman screaming, "Help me!"

Sin Chew reported that it believes that passengers were thrown out of the van during the collision and that some died of severe injuries.

The duo said many people had come down from their vehicles to help, but as some passengers were trapped in the wreckage, they could only wait for rescuers.

Many were elderly and from the same village

Reporters also made their way to the hospital.

According to a "disaster board", five of the injured were revealed to be men and women between 69 and 74.

The Chinese media reported that it believes that the rest of the passengers were of similar age, and many came from the same village.

Travel agency claims driver had enough sleep

An Oriental Daily reporter managed to contact the travel agency operating the van service.

A female employee, apparently the person in charge of the van transport service, said the van driver used to be a lorry driver and that he had a few months of van driving experience.

She reiterated that the driver told her through a WhatsApp call in the morning that he had "slept the whole night" and didn't mention he was feeling unwell.

Former Malaysian transport minister Wee Ka Siong and Resorts World Genting both offered their condolences over the accident on their Facebook and official websites, respectively.

Top image via Facebook 我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians