Guar Chempedak fire and rescue station chief Fauzi Razali said all three soldiers, aged 30 to 40, were confirmed dead at the scene by health ministry staff.

“The fire station received an emergency call at 10.22am, and a team of firefighters, assisted by six firefighters from the Pendang fire and rescue station, were deployed to the scene of the incident.

They reported that four vehicles were involved – three military trucks and a lorry – in the crash and also attended to four victims at the site.

“It is believed that all the military trucks were travelling in a convoy and had to make a stop when one of the vehicles broke down.

“The soldiers were waiting outside the trucks when the lorry driver lost control of his vehicle as it skidded and hit the victims,” he said, in a statement here today.

Fauzi added that the lorry driver was seriously injured and was sent to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for further treatment, while the remains of the three soldiers were sent to the forensic unit of the same hospital for post-mortem.