KUALA TERENGGANU: It was a rude awakening for 32 senior citizens when the chartered bus they were traveling rammed into an elephant at dawn, killing the pachyderm.
A passenger onboard the bus, who wished to be identified only as Madam Chong, said they were fast asleep when they were jolted from the impact at Km59 of the East-West Highway along the Grik-Jeli route at 5.30am today.
“Fortunately, none of us were injured although some were initially shocked from the sudden crash along a dark down-slope of the road.
“We were taken aback when we alighted from the bus to see the elephant groaning briefly before it died at the scene,” she said, adding the bus was about 5km from the Titiwangsa Range rest and recreation area.
Madam Chong said the sight of the elephant lying dead moved many of the passengers to tears.
“ Many sobbed uncontrollably at the sight of the dead elephant,” she said.
The impact with the elephant calf severely dented the front of the bus and shattered its windscreen, with the driver fortunate to escape unhurt.
She said the group, who were on a three day, two nights tour of Betong in southern Thailand, had departed Kuala Terengganu at midnight.
“We were stranded for nearly five hours while waiting for the driver to lodge a police report and to catch a replacement bus despatched by the charter company.
“We finally continued our journey and arrived in Betong nearly 2pm,” she said.
Grik deputy police chief Deputy Superintendent Mohd Sohaimi Ishak said initial investigations revealed that the driver was unable to avoid slamming into the elephant down the slope as it suddenly appeared from the forest.
He said the elephant, estimated to be 12-years old, struggled to its feet momentarily after the impact but collapsed and died shortly afterwards.
Police summoned the National Parks and Wildlife Department to remove the carcass.