Year One Pupil Killed in School Bus Accident in Kluang

(Kluang, July 15) A primary school boy was killed after being struck by his school bus during a turning manoeuvre in Kluang, Johor, on Tuesday afternoon, in a tragic accident that has left the Taman Sri Lalang community mourning and raised serious questions about road safety for young children during school transport.

The Year One pupil killed in this school bus accident was on his way home from school when the incident unfolded on Jalan Bunga Raya 3 at around 4.20pm. The school bus, driven by a 36-year-old local woman, had pulled over to let the boy disembark before resuming its route by turning into the road. As the bus turned, it struck the boy, who remained in the vehicle’s path to the left side, knocking him down and running over him. He suffered severe head injuries and was declared dead at the scene before emergency services arrived.

The female driver of the bus was so distressed by what she had witnessed that she fainted at the scene and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance. Kluang district police chief Barin confirmed in an official statement that she is currently hospitalised, and that police will administer a urine drug test once she has been discharged and is in a condition to comply with the procedure.

Authorities have registered the case under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, covering reckless or dangerous driving resulting in death, and investigations are ongoing. The incident has prompted calls from parents’ groups, transport safety advocates and members of the public for a thorough review of the rules governing school bus operations, particularly around the procedures that drivers must follow when children are alighting in residential areas.