KUALA LUMPUR, June 9, 2025 (AFP) - At least 15 people were killed when a bus carrying university students smashed into a minivan in northern Malaysia early Monday, local rescue services said.

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

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 am on Monday (1700 GMT on Sunday).

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.