Eight people died in an early morning crash involving two factory buses along the North-South Expressway today. 

The crash reportedly happened about 5.40am at kilometre 147, just before the Juru Toll Plaza in Seberang Perai, Penang. 

Berita Harian Online quoted Penang Fire and Rescue Services Department deputy chief Mohd Shoki Hamzah as saying that the buses were ferrying people to the Sony factory in Prai and the Plexus factory in Bayan Lepas.

Six people died at the scene while two others succumbed to their injuries while being treated at the Seberang Jaya Hospital (HSJ), the news report said. 

At least 33 others, who were injured in the incident, are being treated at the same hospital. 

According to Shoki, attempts to extricate the remaining victims are still in progress.  

Meanwhile, NST Online quoted Seberang Perai Tengah police chief ACP Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid as saying that one of the buses, which was ferrying Indonesian and Nepalese workers, had stalled on the left lane after facing engine problems. 

"Another bus, carrying 15 workers, failed to brake in time and rammed into the first bus, pushing it to the right side of the road," he said.

Bernama reported Nik Ros Azhan as saying that the two factory bus drivers are being remanded for four days to facilitate investigation.

All the deceased were females and 23 of the 33 sustained serious injuries while injuries on the rest were minor. 

Bernama also reported that seven out of the eight deceased, were Indonesian nationals. 

Four of them were identified as Resni Tumanggar, Yeni, Serlia and Kris Prastiwi, while post-mortem on three others are still ongoing, the agency quoted Indonesian Consul-General in Penang, Iwanshah Wibisono as saying. 

According to him, the consulate will contact the victims' families and their employer have said they would help bring the relatives of the deceased to Penang, for identification purposes.

State exco Dr Afif Bahardin said that 26 people were being treated at the Seberang Jaya Hospital, three at Sungai Bakap Hospital, two in Penang Hospital’s ICU, one in Bukit Mertajam Hospital, while 12 others are being given outpatient treatment.