34 die in overnight traffic accidents
PEMALANG, Central Java (JP): Thirty-four people were killed in two separate traffic accidents in Central Java in the early hours of Thursday morning.
At least 24 people died instantly and five others were severely injured when an Argo Bromo executive train struck a Colby Persada bus at about 2:30 a.m. here.
In Keparung village in Banyumas, some 75 kilometers south of here, a head-on collision between a van and a truck left nine people dead and three others wounded.
All the crash victims were rushed to the local general hospital and Santa Maria private hospital. Staff at both hospitals identified 11 of the casualties as Rahmat Suminto, David Surkan, Slamet Effendy, Sugiono, Heri P, who was also the bus driver, Suhuda, Budi Hartono, Darwis, Sutan Nicolas, Mahmudi, Ma'ruf.
Deddi, Achmad Hidayat, Abdul Sukur, the co-driver and an unidentified passenger were in critical condition at the local general hospital.
Pemalang Police chief Lt. Col. Suhartono said Slamet was an employee of state-owned arms producer PT Pindad. Police found weapons and bullets with him.
The bus was heading to Bandung, the capital of West Java, from Malang in East Java. The bus company supervisor, Abdul Ghafur, said the bus, bearing plate number D 7868 AK, just came out of a depot five minutes before the crash.
Witnesses said the gate on Jl. Oerip Soemoharjo was not down to prevent the bus from crossing the tracks. The train, which was heading for Jakarta from Surabaya, dragged the bus 500 meters from the crash site before it stopped.
"The crossing guard ran away and police are currently hunting him down," said local traffic police chief Capt. Taslim.
Regent Munir and his staff members took part in evacuating the victims. Munir said his administration would cover the victims' medical fees.
Local residents and police who arrived at the scene encountered difficulties evacuating the victims as many were stuck in the bus wreckage.
Trains plying the northern coast of Java were delayed for five hours following the accident.
Spokesman for state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia, Gatot Wibowo, said in Bandung that his office was still investigating the cause of the crash.
He said the train broke two axes following the crash.
No fatalities were reported on the train.
The ten fatalities in Banyumas were identified as Parem, 50, Samsudin, 35, the van driver and his wife Sofiah, 31, Kalem, 75, Siti Aminah, 60, and her husband Ahmad Mansur, 64, Surimah, 50, Neni, 24, and two of Neni's children, Hadi, 10, and eight-month- old Aji.
The two injured victims, Agustin, 4, and Kholifah, 10, are in critical condition at Banyumas General Hospital.
All the victims were residents of Muntur village in Indramayu, West Java. They were on their way home from Yogyakarta after attending a relative's circumcision ceremony.
Banyumas Police chief Lt. Col. Johny Hutauruk said the crash occurred when the Suzuki van overtook a vehicle in a bend, ignoring the approaching truck.
Police are questioning the truck driver, Endi. (43/45/har/edt)