Nine die in Bogor accident

Nine die in Bogor accident

BOGOR (JP): Nine people were burned to death and two injured
in a head-on collision between a minibus and a minivan on Jl.
Raya Bogor in the early hours of yesterday.

The casualties were all occupants of the van, which had been
hired by the passengers -- traders of the Kramat Jati wholesale
market in East Jakarta -- for the last two years.

The fatalities, who were sent to the PMI General Hospital in
Bogor, were identified as Yayat (25) the driver of the van, Auda
(25), Agus (35), Iwan (30), Endang (30), Empeng (35), Babas (30),
Udin (40) and Achmad (35). Yayat was a member of the Armed
Forces' Rindam Jaya unit in Cijantung, East Jakarta.

The two passengers who survived were Syamsudin (35) and Soleh
(45). They are being treated at the hospital after suffering
burns and fractured limbs.

"We sell vegetable near the Kramat Jati market every night. We
bought the vegetables from the market and sold them on sidewalks
in front of the market," Syamsudin said.

He said that he was awake when the incident happened, unlike
most of the other passengers who were asleep.

He explained that before the incident took place he said the
bus, plying the Cileungsi-Pulogadung route, was traveling at high
speed in the opposite direction.

"Suddenly the Kowanbisata bus with only three people aboard,
including the driver and his assistant, suddenly hit the right
side of the van," he said.

The van was dragged about 20 meters away from the incident
site before catching fire.

"I managed to get out of the van via the front door even
though my hair had been burned," Syamsudin said.

He said that he managed to help save Soleh, who was sitting
near the central door.

He said the driver was crushed by both the steering wheel and
the body of the vehicle.

Alam, a relative of one of the victims, said that all the dead
passengers were traders at the Kramat Jati wholesale market and
on their way home.

"The vehicle has been hired by the traders for the last two
years," he said.

During questioning, the authorized driver Zulkifli said that
the bus was being driven by his assistant, Sicap (41), at the
time of the incident.

"I was so tired that morning I entrusted the bus to be driven
by Sicap. I did not think such an incident would ever take
place," he said.

Sicap was seen running away after the incident.

Lt. Col. Rusland Riza expressed concern over the incident,
urging drivers to maintain discipline at all times, even along
the quietest roads. (24/hhr)