10 burned to death in bus accident

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Brebes, Central Java

Ten people were burned to death, four others suffered serious injuries while two others suffered minor injuries when a Langsung Jaya bus burst into flames in Brebes, Central Java early on Friday morning.

The bus, carrying about 40 passengers from Cimone bus terminal in Tangerang heading to Surakarta, Central Java, caught fire at 12:30 a.m. when passing Jl. Diponegoro in front of the Brebes regent office. Brebes is a small town located near the border between West Java and Central Java along the busy Java north coast route.

The startled passengers panicked in their struggle to escape the flaming bus, leaving 10 trapped inside who subsequently died.

Due to the serious burn wounds, officials at the Brebes general hospital's morgue failed to identify them. Four people who suffered serious injuries -- Suparman, 40; Umi Barokah, 21; Makmun, 45; and Amah, 45 -- were immediately taken to the hospital.

Two passengers suffering minor injuries, Handoyo, 31, and Slamet, 30, were allowed to leave the hospital after receiving treatment.

Brebes police were still investigating the cause of the fire but they suspected that it started in the vehicle's engine that quickly burned the passengers' luggage.

The police were still searching for the driver Suranto, 40, a resident of Kandang Sapi village in Surakarta. He fled the scene when the fire started.

The Brebes police head of traffic Adj. Comr. Grendie Teguh Pidegso said that he had requested additional help from the Central Java police forensic laboratory to identify the cause of the fire and the victims' identity.

"Our early examination revealed that the bus was last checked three years ago while it should have been checked annually. It showed that the bus was not fit to operate," he said.

A survivor, Sarian said that the driver was not driving recklessly.

"But the vehicle broke down three times before reaching Brebes. By the time we entered Brebes, the engine began to break down again and suddenly fire started coming from it and quickly burned the seats and our luggage," he said.

Sarian said he managed to escape from the fire as he sat in the rear of the bus. Most of the casualties were among those in the front seats, and many were sleeping when it occurred.

"Many could not get out because there was a rush to the door when everyone panicked and were overcome by smoke."

Grendie said besides regular luggage, many passengers also had cardboard boxes which quickly caught on fire.

The fire was extinguished within an hour after two fire trucks from Brebes and the neighboring town of Tegal arrived on the scene.

"The tragic accident did not cause much traffic congestion because it took place shortly after midnight when the road was relatively quiet," Grendie said.