SEREMBAN, Malaysia: Thirty passengers of an express bus escaped injuries when the vehicle skidded and crashed into a guard rail along the 246th kilometre point of the North-South Expressway near here.

Five other vehicles were involved in the incident which occurred during a downpour along the northbound section of the expressway at about 2.15pm yesterday.

An eyewitness said a car in front of the bus knocked into the rear of another vehicle before stopping abruptly on the middle lane of the three-lane section.

"The bus driver was forced to apply the emergency brakes to avoid crashing into the car. This caused the bus to skid and crash into the guardrail," he said.

A lorry travelling behind the bus crashed into its rear and turned on its side.

The Transnasional Ekspress bus was heading towards Kuala Lumpur from Malacca.

Only the driver of a Proton Waja was slightly injured in the incident.