CHUKAI, MALAYSI: A trip to attend a wedding ended tragically when five members of a family were killed, three of them burnt to death, after their Proton Iswara crashed into two other vehicles on Jalan Jerangau-Jabor near Kampung Padang Kubu, here, on Friday.

The dead were identified as the driver, Baharuddin Taib, 45, his wife Maimun Ibrahim, 40, their youngest son, Mohamad Nor Firdaus, 2, and Baharuddin's mother, Esah Salleh.

They all died at the scene, Esah of body and head injuries.

The eldest son, Aidil Shahidan 12, died at Kuantan hospital yesterday.

The couple's three other children, Aishah Nabila 10, Ekma Rizal, 8 and Aishah Natasha, 4, who were in the back seat with their grandmother, were pulled out.

They have been admitted to the Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu hospitals in serious condition.

The family from Kampung Kesom, Manir, Kuala Terengganu, was travelling to Kuantan.

The accident occurred at Km123 at 7.20pm, district deputy police chief Deputy Superintendent Abdul Marlik Hakim Johar said.

Baharuddin, Maimun and Nor Firdaus, who was seated in front on his mother's lap, perished in the fire.

Marlik Hakim said Baharuddin was believed to have hit a Proton Saga travelling in front before crashing into a Proton Gen.2 that was coming from behind.

The Iswara caught fire instantly and the intense heat prevented passersby from pulling out those seated in front.

Motorist Mohd Razali Sulong, 30, said he and a few others tried unsuccessfully to smash the windscreen and windows.

The driver of the Proton Saga, Nur Azma Senik, 28, her husband Hashim Mohd, 35, and the driver of the Gen.2, student Mohd Khairul Ikhwan Khairuddin, 18, escaped unhurt.

Baharuddin was taking his family to his brother's house in Felda Neram Dua to attend his nephew's wedding.

Said the groom's father, Abdul Rahman Talib, at the mortuary: "About 5pm, he called and said that they would be late as it was raining heavily.

"I suspected something was amiss when they did not turn up by 8pm.

"He was also not answering my phone calls, so my son and I decided to drive out on the Jerangau-Jabor road to look for them," said Rahman, 56.

"We came across a badly burnt car and recognised it from the tyre rims."