Nine perish in Tapah road tragedy (Updated)

TAPAH: Nine people including eight women farm workers, died after the vehicle they were in collided with a lorry loaded with ice cubes at Km45 Ipoh-Teluk Intan road this morning.
In the 6.50am incident, the eight were on their way to work, at a turnip farm located in Malim Nawar.
The male van driver was identified as Lew San Kai, 33, from Kampung Baru, Malim Nawar.
The rest have been identified as, Yow Som Mooi, 67, Cheong Moy, 68, Wong Yok Yen, 61, Thong For Thye, 52, Cheong Kar Yean, 55, Chong Moi, 82, Liew Siew Fah, 81, Tang Kam Siew,73, all from Kampung Baru Ayer Kuning.
All of them died on the spot.
The driver and seven passengers were pinned to their seats while one of them was thrown out of the vehicle, from impact of the crash.
The lorry driver Mohd Eizat Hani, 22, from Taman Aman Fasa 2, Mambang Diawan, Kampar has been admitted to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh with serious injuries.
Tapah district police chief Supt Som Sak Din Keliaw said the lorry was heading towards Teluk Intan from Ipoh when the collision occurred.
"Initial investigations revealed the lorry lost control and veered into the opposite lain.
"The road was a straight stretch and the weather was normal when accident happened," he added.
The case is being investigated under Section 41 (1)(A) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Meanwhile Perak exco members Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, Datuk Samsudin Abu Hassan and Tapah MP Datuk M. Saravanan were at the Tapah Hospital to meet family members of the deceased who came to claim the bodies.
Samsudin who is also Ayer Kuning assemblyman presented financial aid of RM2,000 each to the next of kins, Saravanan presented them with RM1,000 each.