Bus plunges into river, 11 killed

Bus plunges into river, 11 killed

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purbalingga, Central Java

An intercity bus plunged into a river here on Friday, leaving at
least 11 passengers dead and eight others injured.

The Tri Kusumo bus bearing license number R 2767 BA was
carrying 29 people from Semarang to Purwokerto in Central Java
when it crashed in Toyareja village at around 2:30 p.m.

Bus driver, Yusman, 43, said he lost control of the vehicle
after it hit a minivan which was coming from the opposite
direction just before he was taking a curve over a bride.

A witness said the bus was speeding when it skidded off the
road and crashed through railings before plummeting into Klawing
River.

It was drizzling when the accident took place, the second such
accident with a considerable death toll in two weeks after a bus
caught fire in neighboring Central Java town of Brebes killed 11
passengers.

Local residents said the winding road along the route was
prone to accidents. Last October a public minibus carrying 40
people hit a tree, killing 10 of its passengers.

Only eight of the casualties in Friday's accident have been
identified, including five-year-old Sigit Kurniawan.

All the bodies and those injured were sent to Nirmala Hospital
and Immanuel Hospital in Purbalingga.

Yusman, who survived with a minor injury, is now in police
custody for investigation purpose.

Purbalingga Police chief Adj. Comr. Iryanto said a preliminary
investigation revealed that Yusman was unaware that his bus tires
were already worn out but was going too fast despite the wet
road.

"The driver should not have been that reckless. He should have
reduced speed before passing the bridge. But he was speeding at
70 kilometers per hour," Iryanto said.

"After observation in the field, we could say human error was
the cause of the accident."

Local residents gave first aid to the victims and helped
medical workers evacuate bodies.

Police sealed off the site of accident and rerouted motorists
to alternative routes as workers recovered the bus.

Identified fatalities:
1. Itang Kusmayadi, 27; 2. Eri, 37; 3. Sigit Kurniawan, 5; 4.
Sugiarto, 36; 5. Aemanto, 50; 6. Salijo, 51; 7. Marwah, 37; 8.
Achmad, 40.