Reporter, family killed in crash

SEMARANG, Central Java: A reporter, his entire family and a driver died in an accident involving four cars on the Mangkang highway in Semarang, Central Java, on Monday after their minivan collided head-on with a truck.

Antara reported on Tuesday that the Toyota Kijang van -- carrying Muji Wiryadi, a journalist at Semarang's Suara Merdeka daily, his wife Tri Silowati and their 1.5-year-old daughter Bela Nurohmah -- swerved to the left, forcing the chauffeur to veer sharply to the right, only to collide head-on with the truck.

Muji, his wife and the chauffeur died instantly, while Bela died moments after being taken to Tugu Hospital.

An Isuzu Panther van speeding behind the truck, which was abandoned by its driver, came to an abrupt halt before a tourist bus slammed into it. No deaths were reported in the subsequent pileup. --Antara