Thirteen victims died at the scene near the Thailand border, on the busy East-West Highway, while two died in hospital.

This handout photo taken and released by Perak's Fire and Rescue Department on June 9, 2025 shows a minivan after it collided with a bus in Gerik-Jeli, in Malaysia's Perak state. Photo by Perak's Fire and Rescue Department via AFP

Thirty-one others were injured.

"The bus overturned and the minivan slid into a ditch," the Perak state disaster management authority said.

"Some victims managed to get out on their own, some victims were thrown out while others were still (trapped) in the bus," the statement added.

The bus was carrying students from the Sultan Idris Education University, north of Kuala Lumpur, when it collided with the minivan at around 1:00 a.m. on Monday.

Rescue services said a hydraulic cutter was needed to rescue and retrieve some of the victims in the bus.

Malaysia has a high rate of traffic accidents, with The Star daily newspaper saying in March that a life was lost every two hours on the country's busy roads.