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)