Bus plunges into ravine, 22 killed
Bus plunges into ravine, 22 killed
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
An overloaded bus carrying kindergartners and their parents to
the beach for a field trip plunged into a ravine near the East
Java town of Jember on Tuesday, killing at least 22 people and
injuring many others, police and doctors said.
Most of the victims -- 10 children and 12 adults -- died
instantly in the crash, which occurred at about 7:30 a.m.
The 47-seat bus, part of the fleet of state-owned bus company
Damri, was carrying more than 100 students from Jember's Theo
Bromo Kebunrayap PTPN XII kindergarten and their parents. The
group was traveling to Pasir Putih beach in the neighboring town
of Situbondo in Besuki regency.
Besuki Police chief Sr. Comr. Untung Suharsono Rajab was
quoted by Antara as saying the bus should have been carrying no
more than 47 passengers.
He blamed the accident on "human error" on the part of the
driver, who he said had been named a suspect in a criminal
investigation.
Untung said the driver, identified as Ramli -- a resident of
Kaliwates in Jember -- would be questioned once he recovered from
his injuries.
The bus reportedly skidded out of control along a mountain
pass. It then hit the side of a bridge before plunging into the
eight-meter-deep ravine.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
The chief of the Jember Police's traffic division, Adj. Comr.
Sulistiyo, also blamed human error for the accident.
Rusdianto, the head of Jember's road and traffic agency, was
quoted as saying the winding road was not suitable for large
buses.
Those injured in the crash are being treated at three separate
hospitals in Jember: Dr Soebandi Hospital, a military hospital
and a hospital managed by state plantation company PTPN XII.
People in the area rushed to the scene to try and help the
victims, and many also donated blood at the three hospitals and
the local Red Cross office.
The bodies of the 22 killed in the accident have been claimed
by their families in the villages of Rembangan and Bintoro.
All-day ceremonies were held in the two villages to bury the
dead.
According to Indonesian law, those injured in the accident and
the families of the deceased will receive money from state-owned
traffic insurance company PT Jasa Raharja.
Damri president Twidjara Adji said in Jakarta his company
would provide financial aid to the victims. He indicated the
families of the deceased would each receive Rp 1 million (about
US$115), while the medical costs of the injured would be covered
by the company.
"Damri offers its deepest condolences to the families of all
of the victims," he said.