Nineteen die in Jambi collision

JAMBI, Jambi: Nineteen people died when a Medan Jaya passenger bus collided head-on with a truck on a major road in Bungo Tebo regency, 300 kilometers west of here.

The Antara news agency reported yesterday that 12 people were seriously injured, and eight others suffered minor injuries. The accident occurred at around 6:30 a.m on Tuesday on the trans- Sumatran road.

Jambi police chief Col. Solihin said on Wednesday that both the driver of the bus and the truck, Kostan Siregar and Nawawi Tanto respectively, died on the spot. "This is the worst accident this year," he said.

The truck, bound for North Sumatra from Jakarta, was speeding on the right-hand side of a sharp bend when the bus came from the opposite direction, using the same lane.

There were 37 passengers on the bus bound for Jakarta from Medan in North Sumatra. Those who died were residents of Medan. (swe)