• 15 people, including 14 university students, were killed in a bus crash in Malaysia.
• The accident occurred on the dangerous East-West Highway near the Thailand border.
• Authorities are investigating possible causes of the crash, including human error.

At least 15 people, primarily university students, were killed when a bus traveling from Jerteh to Tanjung Malim collided with a minivan early Monday morning on the East-West Highway in northern Malaysia. Thirteen victims died at the scene, while two succumbed to injuries at the hospital, according to trtglobal and scmp.

The crash, described as the deadliest road incident in recent years, resulted in the bus overturning and the minivan sliding into a ditch. Rescue operations were complicated, requiring a hydraulic cutter to extricate some victims trapped inside the bus, as reported by Indiatimes and trtglobal.

Among the dead were primarily students from Sultan Idris Education University, with ages ranging from 21 to 23. Emergency responders noted that some victims managed to escape the wreckage, while others did not, leading to reports of a chaotic scene as witnesses described students crying for help, Indiatimes stated.

Malaysian authorities are actively investigating whether human negligence or technical failure played a role in the accident. Malaysia's Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, expressed his sorrow over the tragedy and emphasized the ongoing issue of traffic safety on the country’s roads, highlighting the need for caution when traveling, according to scmp and Indiatimes.