Two die, 15 injured in road accident

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Two people were killed and 15 others injured in a crash involving a bus, a minibus and a motorcycle on Jl. Nagrek in Majalengka regency, at about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

The accident took place when a minibus packed with passengers and driven by Syaefudin, 35, was heading east toward Bandung, the capital of West Java province, from Tasikmalaya regency.

As it neared the Ma Ecot restaurant, the minibus attempted to overtake a Suzuki minibus.

However, traveling from the opposite direction was an oncoming Putra Setia bus, plying the Ciwidey-Garut route.

Syaefudin said he swerved to the right to avoid the oncoming bus. He was able to avoid a collision, but lost control of his vehicle, which slammed into a roadside barrier and overturned.

Speaking at the Cicalengka Police station, Syaefudin said the other bus swerved to the left to avoid a collision and hit a parked motorcycle.

The two dead victims were identified as Ahim Ibrahim, 48, and Ahmad Ali, 27, both residents of Pageur Asem in Tasikmalaya regency. They were the driver and passenger of the motorcycle, and were resting on the side of the road when the accident occurred.

The 15 people injured in the accident were all passengers on the minibus. Five of the victims -- Syarief, 53, Ja'l, 73, Yaya, 52, Alit Romli, 26, and Rohana, 41 -- suffered serious injuries in the accident.

They were taken to Hasan Sadikin General Hospital in Bandung for treatment. Ten other passengers sustained minor injuries and were treated at the Cicalengka public health center and released.

The driver of the Putra Setia bus, fearing retaliation from onlookers, sought shelter at the nearby military complex in Nagrek, where he remained as of Tuesday evening.