KOTA BARU: Three Kelantan Rela men were killed in an accident on the East-West Highway near Grik on Wednesday night.

Two others were seriously injured.

State deputy director Saidon Mohd Nasir, 49, and the 48-year-old driver of their van, Che Mud Yusoff, died at the scene. Tumpat district chief Mohd Zani Zakaria, also 49, died at Grik Hospital.

Kota Baru Rela officer Mohd Radwi Mohamad, 46, and Kota Baru logistics division assistant officer Che Abu Bakar Abdul Kadir, 43, were seriously injured.

They were first admitted to Grik Hospital, and later transferred to Taiping Hospital when their condition worsened.

Kelantan Rela director Colonel Saufi Abdul Rahman said the group was returning to Kelantan with other colleagues from a two-day course in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

Hulu Perak police chief Superintendent Mahad Nor Abdullah said the accident happened at 8.30pm in heavy rain at Km14.4 of the highway. An empty cement tanker travelling from Pasir Mas, Kelantan, skidded and veered into the path of the Rela van while trying to take a corner.

Firemen took an hour to extricate the dead and injured from the wreckage.

"This is a real shock to us. I lost two good officers and my driver in the crash.

"They are irreplaceable," said Saufi, adding that Rela will now have to postpone a major operation it was planning.

After visiting the family of Mohd Zani at Pintu Geng yesterday, he said the bodies were expected to arrive here before evening prayers for burial in Pasir Putih and Tumpat.