Investigation into ALS bus accident in Muratara enters investigation phase

Palembang (ANTARA) - The investigation into the Antar Lintas Sumatera (ALS) bus accident in North Musi Rawas Regency has now entered the investigation phase.

“Regarding the investigation process, we can confirm that the traffic investigation team from the South Sumatra Police, assisted by the Traffic Accident Analysis (TAA) team from the Indonesian National Police’s Traffic Corps, has now moved the handling process to the investigation phase,” said South Sumatra Police Deputy Chief Brigadier General Pol Rony Samtana during a press conference in Palembang, Friday.

He said the handling process is being carried out by the South Sumatra Police’s traffic investigation team together with the Traffic Accident Analysis (TAA) team from the Indonesian National Police’s Traffic Corps to uncover the cause of the accident.

Based on preliminary investigations and witness statements, the accident is suspected to have occurred when the driver attempted to avoid a pothole in the road.

“Based on preliminary investigations and witness statements, the accident occurred because the driver was avoiding a pothole in the road,” he said.

The determination of suspects will be carried out through a joint case presentation with the public prosecutor. In addition, coordination will be carried out with the transportation department regarding the inspection of the vehicle’s roadworthiness and the ALS bus’s permits.

“Regarding the vehicle, whether it is roadworthy or not, and the issue of permits, we will communicate this with the transportation department,” he said.

The authorities are also still investigating the cause of the fire that broke out after the collision. Preliminary suspicions suggest that the source of the fire came from the vehicle’s fuel tank, but the exact point of origin of the fire is still being analysed further by the TAA team.

Regarding the passenger manifest data, this has been obtained from the testimony of a survivor named Fadli.

In addition, the police are still identifying the three unidentified bodies.

The police are also investigating passenger data to match the identities of the victims with the travel manifest.

The identification process is being carried out together with the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team using scientific methods, including DNA testing and other supporting data.