Six killed in a chain collision in Cirebon
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon
At least six people were killed and three others severely injured when a cargo truck hit an intercity bus and an Opel Blazer van in the village of Bendungan, Astanajapura district, some 15 kilometers from Cirebon, West Java, on Monday night.
Five of the casualties were passengers of the Blazer van and the other fatality was a bus passenger.
Cirebon Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Siswandi said three of the casualties died instantly in the accident. They were Heri Yuliawan, 36, the driver of the Blazer van, his wife Herlina, 39, and their ten-year-old son Calvin. They were residents of the village of Purwoyoso, Ngaliyan district, in Semarang, Central Java. Two other casualties Rumsiah, 16, and Taryuni, 22, worked as domestic helpers for the family.
Bus passenger M. Dayat, 31, was also killed in the accident. The three other bus passengers who were seriously wounded are Purwanto, 51, Saepudin, 30, and Suharno, 38.
Chief of Astanajapura Police Insp. Ivan Prawira Satyapura disclosed on Tuesday the collision occurred when an intercity bus PO Santoso driven by Gatot Subroto, 46, was trying to overtake the truck.
Unfortunately, the bus hit the back of the truck on the right side, causing the truck to swerve and plunge into a rice field while the intercity bus drove into the opposite lane. The Opel Blazer which was driving behind the truck lost control and skidded into the opposite lane.
The bus and the van were both hit by a cargo truck coming in the opposite direction, which was driven by Solikul Hadi, 36.
"The collision killed all passengers of the Blazer van," the police chief added.
Traffic policeman Brig. Made said the accident caused traffic congestion along the road for several hours.
The traffic jam worsened when officials evacuated the casualties.
Made said that the accident was being investigated by local police. "Police have questioned some witnesses and the drivers of both trucks and the intercity bus," he added.
Traffic accidents are common in the north coastal area of Cirebon, especially during the Idul Fitri holiday.
Fifteen people were killed in traffic accidents in just three days early this month. All of them were on holidays.
Dewi Sri bus line carrying holidaymakers from Jakarta and a truck carrying logs collided head-on in the Gintung Lor subdistrict section of the Palimanan-Jatibarang highway, 26 kilometers east of Cirebon in West Java on Dec. 1, killing the drivers and assistants of both vehicles.
The four who died instantly in the accident were the bus driver Yogi, 35, and his assistant, and the truck driver Kasim, 40, and his assistant Kusno, 40.
Three motorcyclists were killed in traffic accidents on the way to their respective hometowns early in December.