The Prime Minister also conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims.

“Read the news on the 8 teenagers and children who died from being hit by a vehicle in Johor this morning. It is very sad. Condolences to the families of the victims,” he said in his Twitter account @NajibRazak, today.

The 3am accident occurred when the eight together with a group of other teenagers were cycling towards Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru. The group was believed to have obstructed Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, adjacent to the Mahmoodiah cemetery here.

Johor Bahru Selatan District Police chief ACP Sulaiman Salleh said a vehicle driven by a 22-year-old woman from the direction of Taman Pelangi, could not brake in time when confronted with the group of cyclists and rammed right into them.

In the incident, five other teenagers sustained broken legs, two with internal brain bleeding and another with head injuries.