22 die, 8 severely injured as bus plunges into river
KEBUMEN, Central Java (JP): An intercity bus traveling between Jakarta and Yogyakarta plunged from a bridge into a river here in the early hours of Sunday, killing at least 22 people and severely injuring eight others.
The bus, which was driven by Budi Santoso, 34, a resident of Jl. Adi Haryo in Bantul near Yogyakarta, was carrying 49 passengers when it suddenly swerved and plunged into a river. The bus landed upside down with half of the bus body submerged.
Chief of Kebumen Police precinct, Adj. Sr. Com. Prasta Wahyu Hidayat, told The Jakarta Post that the bus accident was caused mainly by the slippery condition of the road due to rain.
"The driver probably lost control of the bus as he drove at a high speed around a bend in the road," he said.
Based on his examination, the bus, which belonged to the state bus company Damri, was driven at a speed of between 60 to 70 kilometers per hour. "We found the accelerator pedal stuck in a position almost to the floor," Prasta said.
Local residents who heard the crash when the bus plunged onto the rocks in the river immediately informed the police.
All of the victims were evacuated by 5 a.m., while the bus was removed at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The victims were sent to nearby hospitals -- Muhammadiyah hospital in Gombong, Palang Biru hospital in Gombong and Sruweng hospital in Kebumen. Seven of the dead victims were female, including one who was five-months pregnant. All of the female victims, mostly aged between 25 and 35, could not be identified.
The other dead victims were identified as Budi Santoso (the driver); Akin Prayitno, 25 (a resident of Malang, East Java); Sahudi, 35 (Brebes, Central Java); Musliman, 28 (Bekasi, West Java); Supardi, 23 (Klaten, Central Java); Tulus (East Jakarta); Budiono (Kebumen, Central Java); Mahmudi Nur (Kebumen); M. Yusup, 27 (Cibinong, West Java).
Others fatalities were Watin, 32 (Kebumen); Cipto Pramono (60) (Purworejo, Central Java); Sukardi,46 (Purwokerto, Central Java); Mardi Utomo, 47 (Lampung) and Sutarno (Kebumen) as well as one which could not be identified.
"We still don't know whether the bus conductor was killed in the incident or not," Prasta said. (45)