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A 13-year-old boy is fighting for his life after suffering severe burns in a road crash involving a participant of the RXZ Members 8.0 gathering in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu.

According to the New Straits Times, the teenager has since been placed in a medically induced coma as doctors work to stabilise his condition and reduce the risk of further complications.

The accident happened on Friday (31 July) at the Buluh Gading four-way intersection when the motorcycle carrying the boy and his pregnant mother was struck by another motorcycle believed to be ridden by a participant travelling to the popular Yamaha RX-Z gathering.

The motorcycle burst into flames after the collision

Based on videos of the incident found on social media, the motorcycle carrying the teen and his mother burst into flames immediately after the collision.

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The boy suffered burns to around 60% of his body and was rushed to Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital, where he remains in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Doctors decided to place him in a medically induced coma due to the severity of his injuries. Medical personnel are also closely monitoring him for possible infections while assessing options to treat the extensive burn wounds.

His father, 61-year-old Talhah Mahmud, said his son briefly regained consciousness on Sunday morning (2 August) with a rapid heart rate, as noted by doctors.

“The attending doctors informed me that my son showed no positive response, which is deeply worrying for me.

“For now, we are concerned that his burn wounds are vulnerable to bacterial infection, as the outer layer of skin is gone and bacteria could attack those areas,” said Talhah.

Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Multiple deaths reported, more accidents compared to last year

Over the weekend, multiple deaths involving RX-Z Members 8.0 who were en route to the event were reported.

According to Bernama, as many as five deaths caused by road accidents were recorded on Friday (31 July) and Saturday (1 August), throughout the event in Kuala Terengganu.

Terengganu police chief Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairudin said the five fatalities occurred in Kemaman and Dungun, involving four men and one woman aged between 20 and 48 years old.

“There has been a significant rise in accident cases during RXZ Members 8.0 compared to RXZ Members 7.0,” Mohd Khairi said during a press conference at the Terengganu contingent police department recently.

“Besides that, as many as 29 accidents involving the event’s participants were recorded this year, compared to 11 from last year,” he added.

He also stated that police successfully detained six individuals — four local men, a Singaporean national, and a local woman — for driving recklessly, and will be charged under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 in the near future.

More than 1,800 fines issued, over 200 motorcycles seized

Mohd Khairi also informed that the police issued 1,850 summonses on various traffic offences and seized 222 motorcycles under Section 64 of the Road Transport Act 1987.

According to him, the actions deny claims that the police give preferential treatment to the organisers of RXZ Members.

“The actions were taken against motorcycles equipped with exhausts and registration numbers that do not comply with specifications. Although we did not conduct road blocks, enforcement activities were still carried out through our own methods.

“If there was preferential treatment, there would have surely been no summonses issued or seizures carried out. The police strongly deny that it is protecting or giving special treatment to the program,” he said.

The incidents occurred as thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts travelled to Terengganu for RXZ Members 8.0, which drew a record-breaking crowd of more than 200,000 participants this year.

READ MORE: RXZ Members: The Nuisance Continues As Malaysians Criticise Bike Gathering

READ MORE: RXZ Members 8.0 Drew 200,000 Riders, Four Died On The Way

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