Bus was carrying 61 students & teachers in Indonesia when it was involved in crash
A bus carrying mostly students and teachers has reportedly crashed in the province of West Java in Indonesia.
It resulted in the deaths of 11 people, many of whom were students who were on a school trip.
Source: @skynewsagra on X
53 people were also hospitalised with injuries.
Indonesia bus crash took place on 11 May
The crash took place when the bus was returning to Depok, a city outside Jakarta, from Bandung in West Java province on Saturday (11 May) night, reported the Associated Press (AP).
It was carrying 61 students and teachers who had attended a graduation celebration.
The school they were from was identified by Indonesian news outlet Tribun Jabar as SMK Lingga Kencana.
Source: Tribun Jabar
According to West Java police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast, the driver lost control of the bus as it was going downhill somewhere in Ciater, a city near Bandung.
It then sped across lanes and hit cars and motorbikes before crashing into an electricity pole.
Source: Tribun Jabar on Facebook
11 people killed, 53 others injured
As a result of the crash, nine students died at the scene, according to CNA.
Two more people died in hospital — a teacher and a local motorist, Mr Abast said.
53 others were hospitalised with injuries. Some of them are in critical condition, he added.
Bus driver survives crash, undergoing treatment
The driver of the bus, a 50-year-man, survived the accident, Tribun Jabar reported.
He told the media that he had stopped the bus at an intersection but the brakes didn’t work when he tried to resume the journey.
He lost control of the bus and had to use the steering wheel to swerve it to avoid colliding with more vehicles, he said.
Eventually, he swerved the bus to the right after seeing an electricity pole in front, and the vehicle rolled over.
He was trapped in the driver’s seat before being rescued and is undergoing treatment.
Bus specification was changed: Safety inspectors
While the cause of the accident is still under investigation, preliminary investigations showed that the bus brakes malfunctioned, Mr Abast told AP.
On Sunday (12 May), the bus was inspected by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).
Source: Tribun Jabar
They found that there had been a change in the specifications of the bus, from regular to “high decker”, it told Tribun Jabar.
This could affect the vehicle’s manoeuvrability, it added.
Also read: Bus Transporting Passengers To Quarantine Facility In China Crashes, 27 People Killed
Bus Transporting Passengers To Quarantine Facility In China Crashes, 27 People Killed
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Featured image adapted from Tribun Jabar on Facebook and Tribun Jabar.
