ALOR GAJAH: Police have confirmed that the tyre of a tanker lorry which detached during a crash that claimed seven lives in Melaka last month, was not sent for inspection at the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom).
District police chief Superintendent Ashari Abu Samah said they were unable to locate the tyre during an investigation at the scene of the accident, which occurred at Kilometre 204 of the North-South Expressway heading north.
"Therefore, the police, together with Plus Malaysia Berhad (Plus), are actively searching for the tyre.
"We are working to locate the tyre as it was not found at the scene of the incident," he said when contacted today.
He said police initially had no information regarding the missing tyre until dashcam footage from a witness's vehicle went viral.
He said the tanker lorry driver's statement confirmed that the lorry's tyre had detached and was in the middle of the road during the incident.
On Jan 2, Puspakom chief executive officer Mahmood Razak Bahman said the agency had submitted its findings to the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research.
However, the report only covered the lorry's inspection, as the detached tyre had not been handed over to Puspakom for examination.
The collision, which occurred on Dec 24, 2024, involved three vehicles, claiming seven lives and injuring 33.
Melaka Fire and Rescue Department director Mohd Pisar Aziz said the accident involved a tour bus carrying 27 passengers, a trailer and a Toyota Estima multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).
He said preliminary investigations revealed the victims killed in the horrific accident included three men, three women and a child.