Three siblings killed in motorcycle-lorry crash in Malaysia on the way home from closed school
Three siblings aged 18, 11 and eight were killed when the motorcycle they were riding collided with a lorry in Pontian, Johor, Malaysia, on Thursday morning (8 October). Their mother said they had travelled to school despite a two-day closure due to haze, with CCTV reportedly showing them turning back after finding the school closed.
MALAYSIA: Three siblings were killed after the motorcycle they were travelling on collided with a lorry in Pontian, Johor, Malaysia, on Thursday morning (8 October 2026).
The victims were an 18-year-old man, an 11-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl.
The crash happened at about 7am along Jalan Parit Haji Sirat.
Pontian district police chief Superintendent Hadzrat Hussein Mion Hussian confirmed the incident and said investigations were ongoing.
Siblings had travelled to school despite closure
The crash occurred on the first day of a two-day closure of schools across Johor because of deteriorating air quality caused by haze.
Their mother, 43-year-old Julaiha Munaji, said she had told her two younger children not to go to school because of the closure.
However, she said they insisted on going, prompting their older brother to take them to school to show them that it was closed.
According to Julaiha, CCTV footage from the school showed the motorcycle arriving before the three siblings turned around and headed home.
Crash happened near their home
Julaiha said the school was about 2km from their home in Kampung Parit Haji Siraj.
She said the family was later alerted by a passer-by that the motorcycle had been involved in a crash about 200 metres from their home.
Her husband and eldest child went to the scene before the three siblings were taken to Pontian Hospital.
Police have not confirmed the cause of the crash, and there is currently no indication that haze or reduced visibility contributed to the collision.
Johor among states worst affected by haze
The crash occurred as haze continued to affect large parts of Peninsular Malaysia.
Department of Environment data showed that 38 of the country's 68 air quality monitoring stations recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 9am on Thursday, with Segamat in Johor recording the highest reading at 187.
All eight monitored locations in Johor were in the unhealthy range, including Larkin at 178, Tangkak at 172, Pengerang at 165, Kota Tinggi at 164 and Batu Pahat at 161.
All schools in Johor were closed on Thursday and Friday following a directive by the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, after air quality deteriorated across the state.
The Education Ministry has also instructed schools to suspend outdoor activities when API readings exceed 100, while schools in areas where readings exceed 200 are to be closed.
The DOE classifies API readings between 101 and 200 as unhealthy, while readings from 201 to 300 are considered very unhealthy and those above 300 hazardous.
Mother recalls older brother's role
Julaiha said her older son had regularly helped take his younger siblings to school.
She also recalled that she had been involved in a road accident about four months earlier after taking her children to school, after which her son helped more with transporting his siblings.
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the collision and are expected to provide further details.
