REMBAU – A van carrying dozens of cats and dogs was involved in an accident at Kilometre 222.7 (northbound) of the North-South Expressway here on Sunday.
The incident, which occurred at about 10.15am, involved an animal rescue non-governmental organisation (NGO) van transporting 20 cats and five dogs from Melaka to Kuala Lumpur.
Rembau Deputy District Police Chief Deputy Superintendent Azmi Ali said the accident involved a lorry and a van.
“The Hino lorry was driven by a 40-year-old man from Johor heading towards Perak and was believed to be travelling in the left lane.
“Upon reaching the location, an unidentified vehicle from the middle lane suddenly moved into the left lane in front of the lorry,” he told Sinar Harian on Monday.
He said the lorry swerved to the left and entered the emergency lane before crashing into the rear of a Nissan Urvan van driven by a 33-year-old man.
The van was believed to have been stopped in the emergency lane due to technical issues and was waiting for highway assistance.
“The impact caused the van to move forward before overturning into a ditch on the left side of the road.
“As a result, two female passengers aged 33 and 41 sustained minor injuries and received outpatient treatment at Rembau Hospital,” he said.
Azmi said investigations found that the van belonged to the Shikin Animal Rescue and Conservation Team Association.
He added that the NGO was transporting 20 cats and five dogs from Melaka to a shopping mall in the capital to participate in the ‘Oh My Pet! Expo’.
“Checks also found that two cats and one dog died as a result of the accident,” he said.