Car accidents kill 11 on north coast road
Nana Rukmana and Oyos Saroso, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon/Bandarlampung
Two separate traffic accidents claimed 11 lives on the north coast road of Java as the mass exodus of revelers ahead of the Idul Fitri holidays began over the weekend.
Meanwhile, traffic has also become congested along the north coastal road, with cars lining up to 10 kilometers between Kandanghaur and Patrol districts in Indramayu regency, West Java.
Traffic congestion also occurred at the Pamanukan junction in Subang regency, with cars lining up for eight kilometers in Bugel village in Sukasari subdistrict until the Pamanukan border on Saturday evening.
The presence of seasonal traders has worsened the traffic flow as they occupy almost half of the road around Pamanukan intersection, which is also a shopping and market area.
Dewi Sri bus line carrying holidayers from Jakarta and a truck carrying logs collided head-on in the Gintung Lor subdistrict section of the Palimanan-Jatibarang highway, 26 kilometers east of Cirebon in West Java at dawn on Sunday, killing the drivers and their assistants of both vehicles.
The four who died instantly in the accident were the bus driver Yogi, 35, and his assistant, and the truck driver Kasim, 40, and his assistant Kusno, 40.
Residents at the collision site said that the truck driver was driving recklessly, causing it to crash into the bus, which was traveling to Jakarta from Purwokerto in Central Java.
According to a bus commuter Mansur, 37, the Dewi Sri bus was overloaded, with dozens of passengers standing.
The crash came 24 hours after a truck carrying fertilizer hit a minivan in another head-on collision on Patok Besi highway in the West Java town of Subang. All but one people aboard the minivan were killed in the accident.
"The only survivor in the traffic accident was a four-year-old girl identified as Nia. She survived with light injuries as she was sitting in the rear seat of the minivan.
"Thus far, we do not know who Nia's parents are out of all the fatalities. The girl is currently being treated at a local public health center in Patok Besi," Chief of the Patok Besi Police precinct First Insp. Wazirman said.
According to Wazirman, the collision occurred because the minivan driver was sleepy.
The fatalities were Marsini, 34, Padiyo, 43, Mulyo Sugiarto, 47, Sumitro, 42, Kasaroh, 35, and Sri Harni, 43. All are residents of Kebumen, Central Java, except Sri Harni who resided in Srimulyo village in Central Lampung.
While the remaining fatality, a 17-years old girl, has yet to be identified.
Meanwhile, huge waves in the Sunda Strait have slowed the trip of thousands of holidayers from Java to Sumatra.
The Lampung-based Meteorology and Geophysics Agency disclosed last week that earth temperature in and around the Sunda Straits would rise to 30 Celsius degree, creating big waves that could slow down the speed of ships traveling between Merak and Bakauheni ports.
Some travelers complained of seasickness as the journey from Merak port to Bakauheni port was five hours, three hours more than the usual time of two hours.
A passenger also complained that ferries often delayed departure until there were enough passengers waiting to be transported to Merak.
"Ferry operator PT ASDP intentionally delayed anchoring at the Bakauheni port to wait for passengers (going to Merak). That, of course caused us to wait for more than three hours," said Safuan, a passenger aboard the Jatra ferry.
Meanwhile, operation manager of the state-owned sea, river, and ferry transportation company (PT ASDP) said that his office would operate 24 boats to serve 64 trips daily.
He also said that his company expected to transport 78,600 people and 8,000 vehicles from Merak to Bakauheni during the Idul Fitri holiday period.
And, in an effort to transport more passengers, the company also plans to increase the trips of its speed boats from 27 trips to 33 trips with total passengers reaching 5,477 people daily during the holidays.