Van carrying Singapore tourists plunges into Penang ravine, killing 1

A woman was killed after a van ferrying 10 tourists from Singapore plunged into a ravine at Bukit Genting, Penang, at around 8pm on Sunday.

Among the 11 aboard the van, five were seriously injured while five others suffered light injuries, a spokesman from the Seri Balik Pulau Fire and Rescue Station told The Straits Times. All of them were taken to hospital.

The driver, who is Malaysian, was among those seriously injured, the spokesman added.

The van was descending the hill after the passengers had dinner at the Bukit Genting Hill Leisure Park and Restaurant.

Rescue efforts by Penang’s Fire and Rescue Department lasted around three hours and were completed at around 11.30pm amid heavy rain.

The Seri Balik Pulau fire station was alerted to the incident at 8.14pm.

Rescuers said the van had skidded and fell into a 6m-deep ravine. When they arrived at the scene, about a 5-minute drive from the restaurant, five of the passengers had managed to free themselves from the vehicle.

ST has contacted Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

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