Bus crashes into Kijang, four dead

Puji Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru

Four people were killed and six others severely injured on Sunday evening when a bus crashed into a Toyota Kijang in Redang Seko subdistrict, Indragiri Hulu regency, Riau province.

Redang Seko is located some 126 kilometers west of Pekanbaru, the provincial capital of Riau.

The accident occurred as the Karmila bus was speeding east to Pekanbaru from Rengat, the capital of Indragiri Hulu, and attempted to take over another bus, when a Toyota Kijang van appeared from the opposite direction.

The bus and Kijang met in a head-on collision that shattered most of the windows in the front part of the bus and crumpled the Kijang.

Two of four passengers in the Kijang were killed instantly, while the remaining two perished shortly after being admitted to a nearby hospital.

The six injured victims were all bus passengers, including the bus driver, Hari Monang Harahap, 43.

Another six bus passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to a nearby public health clinic.

Senior Riau Police officers were alarmed by the accident, with Riau Police chief Insp. Gen. Deddy S. Komaruddin himself visiting the scene of the accident.

Preliminary investigations indicate a high possibility that the accident was caused by the bus driver's negligence. "We are investigating further," said traffic division head Adj. Comr. Lilik Eko Putro of the Indragiri Hulu Police.