Five killed when truck collides with minivan
Five killed when truck collides with minivan
JAKARTA (JP): Five people, including a 13-year-old boy, were
killed after a fuel truck loaded with 16,000 liters of gas,
collided with an Isuzu Panther minivan on the Kemayoran flyover
near the harbor toll road in Ancol, North Jakarta on Sunday.
Police and relatives said only one person, a 37-year-old woman
identified as Tjandrawati Arifin, managed to survive the inferno.
Her teenage son, Ricky Haryanto, who was to celebrate his
birthday on the 24th of this month, was among those killed.
Tjandrawati is being treated at the Pertamina Hospital in
South Jakarta.
The five victims died on the spot.
While the identities of the two victims from the fuel truck
remain unknown, relatives and hospital sources identified the
other two fatalities as Siauw Mei, 31, the minivan's owner and
her driver, Rusdi.
Police officers said the accident took place at around 11
a.m., shortly after the truck coming from Jl. Benjamin Sueb
turned into the toll road to Ancol Timur.
"The driver who was unable to control the truck, smashed into
an electricity pole at the median strip and broke through a fence
separating the double-laned road," said chief of the Pademangan
Police subprecinct, Sr. Insp. Hendro Pandowo.
At the time, the Panther minivan was on the other lane,
heading toward Kemayoran, he said.
" A big flame shot out shortly after the accident," the
officer explained.
A street sweeper supported Hendro's findings, saying he heard
a loud bang and saw thick smoke emerge from the truck immediately
after it smashed into the minivan.
Fire fighters using five fire engines managed to extinguish
the fire two hours later, which then allowed police and medical
staff to retrieve the bodies.
Four victims were almost totally incinerated, while the body
of Siauw Mei remained intact.
All victims were taken to the morgue at the Cipto Mangunkusumo
General Hospital in Central Jakarta, while the burned vehicles
were towed to Kampung Bandan truck pool in North Jakarta.
Relatives found it difficult to identify their loved ones,
recognizing them only from the jewelry they had on.
The accident at the flyover attracted dozens of passers-by
while several scavengers were seen collecting burned metals and
other debris, forcing police to deviate traffic.
Liliana, a relative of Tjandrawati, said Siauw Mei, who lived
in Kelapa Gading, picked up Tjandrawati form the latter's house
on Jl. Pantai Sanur, some 600 meters from the accident scene, to
accompany her to visit her friend mother at the Husada Hospital.
"The accident took place before they could reach the Husada
Hospital," Liliana told reporters at the morgue. (07/asa)