NIBONG TEBAL: Nine people were injured, two seriously, in an accident involving a chartered bus, a lorry and a motorcycle at Km157.2 of the North-South Expressway yesterday. The injured were the bus driver, seven of his passengers and the motorcyclist.

The motorcyclist was admitted to the Seberang Jaya Hospital while one of the bus passengers, a 39-year-old teacher, was warded at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital.

The others received outpatient treatment at the Sungai Bakap and Seberang Jaya hospitals.

In the 6am incident, the driver of the lorry was believed to have lost control of his vehicle and grazed the motorcycle before slamming the brakes.

The driver of the bus, meanwhile, could not stop in time and crashed into the rear of the lorry, causing its passengers -- students and teachers of Sekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Ismail in Kemaman, Terengganu -- to be thrown forward.

At that point, a spare tyre from the bus ripped loose and hit the motorcyclist, who was still lying on the road.

Seberang Prai Selatan traffic police chief Chief Inspector Hamin Zaini Hamzah said the students and teachers were on their way to Langkawi for a four-day holiday when the accident occurred.

Their vehicle was part of a 10-bus convoy from Kemaman, which was carrying pupils, teachers and parents.

The other buses later continued their journey to Kuala Perlis to catch the ferry to Langkawi.

Teacher Mahani Wan Ali, 44, said the passengers were asleep when the accident occurred.