10 burned to death in bus accident
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.