Three more die in accident

PADANG, West Sumatra: Two people were killed and three injured in an accident involving a bus and a pick-up van here over the weekend, police said.

The accident happened in the Pesisir Selatan area when the packed open-roof pick-up van was hit by a bus on a sharp bend. The pick-up's passengers fell out onto the road.

Two died at the scene and one on the way to hospital, Lt. Bagus Giri, a Pesisir Selatan police precinct officer said.

Chief of West Sumatra Police, Col. Eddy Kadir, said he was upset to hear of the accident and pick-ups were not allowed to carry passengers.

"But it's difficult to impose the ban at Idul Fitri because public transport vehicles are scarce then," he said. (32/05)