JTB's "Malaysia Tour" Kills 1 Japan in Bus Accident, Transports 10 to Hospital - Safety and Security Initiatives Announced the Day Before
On October 24, 2024, during a tour of Malaysia organized by JTB, a tourist bus heading to the central "Cameron Highlands" collided with a trailer, killing one Japan woman in her 70s and taking 10 people to hospital. The day before the accident, the company had just announced its "safety and security initiatives."
The name of the tour is JTB Travel Story "7 Days Across Malaysia", and it departs from Kansai International Airport for Kuala Lumpur on the 21st. The accident occurred on the fourth day of the tour, around 13:46 local time on the 24th (around 14:46 Japan time), on the highway on the way from the beach resort "Penang" to the highland resort "Cameron Highlands".
The participants were 11 Japan men and women in their 50s ~ 80s, consisting of 3 men and 8 women. There were a total of 13 people on the bus, including a local guide and a driver, but there were no JTB employees on board.
On October 23, the day before the accident, JTB announced in its annual JTB Sustainability Report, stating that ensuring travel safety is a top priority for its business, and that it was committed to safety and security. In it, the company announced that it has established its own criteria for the selection of transport companies that are business partners.
Hiroyuki Takahashi Japan chairman of JTB and president of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, spoke at the industry newspaper on the occasion of the travel event "Tourism EXPO Japan" held at Tokyo Big Sight in September. interview In response to the pandemic, he said that the "revival of overseas travel and out-of-band" is the biggest challenge in the industry.
On the afternoon of October 25, JTB held a press conference at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to explain the details of the accident in the presence of Mr. Eijiro Yamakita, President and CEO, and two executives. The company has established the Malaysia Bus Accident Response Headquarters and is working with relevant authorities to gather information.
