Numerous fatalities mark Idul Fitri

Numerous fatalities mark Idul Fitri

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Kupang

Up to 20 people have been killed in separate accidents as some 17
million Muslims around the country spend their Idul Fitri
holidays away from home.

At least five people died and 50 others were injured when a
truck and a Taft car collided in Banyuglugur, Situbondo regency,
East Java, on Tuesday afternoon.

"The truck was carrying dozens of people on their way home
from a trip to Pasir Putih. They were from Paiton and
Probolinggo," the Situbondu Police's traffic unit chief, Adj.
Comr. Slamet Budiono, was quoted as saying by Antara.

He said the police had yet to identify the dead, but confirmed
that three of them had been killed instantly while the other two
had died on the way to hospital.

The injured are currently being treated at the Besuki and
Situbondo hospitals, Slamet added.

"It was likely that the truck driver was trying to overtake
the car in front of him," he explained.

The drivers of the two vehicles escaped with injuries. The
vehicles were towed to the nearest police station for inspection.

Off Pamana island in Sikka regency, East Nusa Tenggara, an
overloaded boat sank on Monday afternoon, leaving at least three
passengers dead and one missing.

Police said on Tuesday the motorized vessel was carrying 34
people traveling to celebrate Idul Fitri on Panama, which lies
some 50 kilometers east of Maumere on Flores island.

Sikka Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Bagus Wahyono said the
boat's captain, Ismael, 30, has been named a suspect.

He will be charged under Article 359 of the Criminal Code on
negligence leading to death. He could be jailed for five years if
found guilty, Bagus added.

A similar accident took place in Padang Pariaman, West
Sumatra, where a tourist boat sank while heading to Angso Dua
island on Monday afternoon. One person is still missing, Antara
reported.

Rescue teams said it was difficult to search for the missing
victim due to heavy seas off the island.

An eyewitness said that the boat was carrying around 43
domestic tourists who were planning to celebrate Idul Fitri in
Angso Dua, which is some five kilometers from Pariaman beach.

The boat, which had a capacity of only 20 people, sprung a
leak only 20 minutes out to sea.

A few young boys tried to rescue themselves by jumping
overboard and swimming toward the Angsa Duo beach, but one of
them went missing.

In Bali, a 12-year-old girl died after being swept away by the
current at Balawisata, Kuta, Badung regency, on Sunday afternoon.

The body of the girl, Renita, from Jember in East Java, was
eventually found floating on Monday.

In Yogyakarta, two tourists drowned on Monday while swimming
off Parangtritis beach. The victims, Murandi, 22, and Ahmadun,
37, were vacationing along with their 25 friends.

Ahmadun's body is still missing, while Murandi's body has been
handed over to his family.

In South Sumatra, at least seven were killed and hundreds of
others were injured in traffic accidents during the Idul Fitri
exodus.

The South Sumatra branch of state life insurance firm, PT Jasa
Raharja, said the death toll was based on the number of claims
submitted by the families of the dead.