KUALA LUMPUR: Police yesterday confirmed that three people were injured when two vehicles caught fire following a collision on the New Klang Valley Expressway, which images of the accident have gone viral on social media.
Shah Alam district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim said the three people were drivers of three of the four vehicles involved in the accident.
"All three people, who were injured during the accident, were rushed to the Shah Alam Hospital for treatment.
"There were no fatalities reported from the accident," he said in a statement.
Iqbal said preliminary investigations showed the accident involved three cars and a pick-up truck at KM4.8 of the highway, Klang bound.
"The incident occurred when all the vehicles were moving straight in the far right lane and were unable to stop in time due to traffic congestion ahead, resulting in a collision involving four vehicles.
"The accident caused a Proton Persona to catch fire, which then spread to another vehicle.
"Firefighters from the Bukit Jelutong Fire and Rescue Station arrived at the scene and managed to put off the fire within 10 minutes," he said.
Iqbal said the case is being investigated under Section 43(1) of the Road Transports Act 1987 for careless and inconsiderate driving.
"The public with information on the accident can assist in the investigation by contacting Shah Alam district police's Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division investigating officer Inspector Zaharizul Zamri at 019-3229097," he said.
It was reported that Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar said the department received a distress call about the accident at 3.52pm yesterday.
He said the accident involved three vehicles, two of which were engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, while a four-wheel drive was partially on fire.
Several images of the burning vehicles were circulating on social media and WhatsApp.
The incident caused a huge traffic jam on the highway heading towards Kuala Lumpur as the burning vehicles took up the middle and right lanes.