Car accidents kill 11 on north coast road
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.