MALAYSIA: Malaysia has formed a task force to look into the death of a teen who died after being electrocuted while charging his phone on a bus, according to a South China Morning Post report.
The incident in Penang occurred when he plugged his phone into a charging socket on the bus.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the committee’s objective was to find out the cause of the incident and prevent such tragedies from recurring.
Loke added that the panel will include officials from the road transport department, the land public transport agency, and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research.
A teenage boy died after being electrocuted while charging his mobile phone at a socket on an express bus, suffering burns to his left hand.
Penang police reported that 18-year-old Mohamad Asymawi was en route from Penang Sentral to Kuala Lumpur when the incident occurred.
— BFM News (@NewsBFM) November 2, 2024
The boy who died, Mohamed Nur Asymawi Jasmadi, was just 18 years old and was travelling to Kuala Lumpur last Friday.
Eyewitnesses on the bus heard the victim screaming and saw him frothing at the mouth. The end of his charging cable had melted, and his phone had overheated.
As a result of the horrific incident, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research has asked bus conductors to conduct regular inspections of electrical systems and to place importance on the need for checks by professionals rather than just maintenance staff.
The agency’s chairman, Wong Shaw Voon, said, “If done properly, checks would confirm the electrical stability of these systems and prevent surges that could harm users or damage equipment.”
Malaysians have been vocal about the matter, with many expressing their sorrow on social media and urging the transport minister to mandate regular inspections and stop buses that are not road-worthy from running.
On Sunday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke issued a statement saying:
“The Ministry of Transport treats this electric shock incident, which tragically resulted in the death of a teenager while he was charging his phone on the express bus, with utmost seriousness.”
Loke added that the vehicle’s operations would be suspended for the time being, but his action was criticized by the president of the Peninsular Malaysia Malay Express Bus Operators Association, Abu Hassan Awang.
Awang said that the investigation should have been completed first before any suspension.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
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