The fire and rescue station said two of the three vehicles involved were on fire when the rescue team arrived.

“The five people in the vehicles were removed by members of the public before the firefighters arrived,” a fire and rescue statement said.

The two vehicles that caught fire were a Toyota Fortuner and a Volkswagen.

Two people in the Volkswagen were killed, while two others were seriously injured. A man in the Toyota was also seriously injured.

Fire and rescue commander Hazmi Zulkafli said the Toyota collided with the Volkswagen resulting in both vehicles catching fire. “A nearby Honda CR-V unsuccessfully tried to avoid the collision, but all four occupants escaped unharmed,” he said in a statement.

Kota Tinggi police chief Yusof Othman confirmed the incident and said further investigations are under way.