Johor bahru: Eleven schoolchildren were injured when the school van they were travelling in overturned on Jalan Abdul Samad here today. Johor Bahru Selatan police chief ACP Raub Selamat reported that the incident occurred at 7.01 am. The van is believed to have struck an open sewer manhole on the left side of the road, leading the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the incident involved a total of 17 people, including the 41-year-old male driver and 16 schoolchildren aged between nine and 15. The injured were treated at the Yellow Zone of Sultanah Aminah Hospital. The case is currently under investigation under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

Meanwhile, Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh called for anyone with information or recordings related to a suspected theft attempt involving the manhole to come forward. He noted that the manhole cover belongs to Telekom Malaysia, which confirmed that no work was being carried out in the area by its contractors recently. The uncovered manhole may be linked to an attempted theft of its cover, and information can be reported to the Johor Bahru Selatan District Police Headquarters.

Earlier statements from state Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin revealed that the van was transporting students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Mohd Khalid, SMK Aminuddin Baki, and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Jalan Yahya Awal. He assured that all victims would receive the best possible medical care and health monitoring. Authorities are conducting a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of the accident, with intentions to take appropriate measures to ensure student safety.