Road accident in Sidoarjo kills six, leaves nine injured
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A speeding minivan rammed into the back of a trailer on the Sidoarjo highway in East Java on Monday morning killing six passengers as they were heading home from a pilgrimage.
All six died on the spot, Antara reported. They were identified as Nur Kholiq (36), Masduki (25), Eko (17), Ismani (45) and Nurul (32), while the other victim remains unidentified.
Nine others riding in the Mitsubishi Colt L300 were injured, including driver Supriyanto (40).
Suffering from severe injuries were Supriyanto, Joko Suparjono (31), Ismaini (43). Meanwhile, Sutina (30), Reza (17), Dewi (35), Mohammad Pake (48), Nanda (7) and Putri Mayasari (4) sustained minor injuries.
The passengers of the minivan were residents of Mojokerto, who had just completed on Sunday a pilgrimage to the graves of five of the nine pious leaders who spread Islam in Java.
The minivan and the trailer were heading in the same direction when the accident occurred early in the morning.
"We're questioning the driver of the trailer. However, based on our observations at the accident site, it would seem that the (minivan) driver was suffering from driver fatigue," Sidoarjo Regency Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Aris Nurhandayani said, referring to Supriyanto.
Saijan (44) was the driver of the truck, which was transporting bricks, when the Mitsubishi L300 rear-ended it at high speed.
The collision flattened the front of the minivan, but only caused minor damage to the back of the truck.
Elsewhere, chairman of the National Awakening Party faction at the People's Consultative Assembly Yusuf Muhammad said he planned to adopt two of the children whose parents had died in a bus accident that killed 22 people in another East Java town, Jember, last week.
The children are Andi Adrianto (12) and Supardi (6), sons of Mainah from Bintoro. Just 40 days earlier, their father, Jumadin died from an illness.
"The kyai (senior cleric) is trying to find out where the children are," said Suud Siradj, the head of the Madarasah Aliyah Keagamaan (MAK), referring to Yusuf.
According to Suud, Yusuf was heartbroken to learn the fate of the two children, and hoped that by adopting them they could continue their schooling.
The two had been on a bus carrying kindergarten children and their parents on a trip to the Pasir Putih beach. The bus was carrying more than 100 passengers, while its maximum capacity was 47, officials said.
As the driver lost control, the bus plunged into a ravine, killing 10 children and 12 adults.