At least 16 people killed in horrific bus accident in Indonesia’s main Java Island after a tourist bus smashed into a concrete barrier and flipped onto its side.
According to the search and rescue chief Budiono, the bus was carrying 34 passengers when it lost control on a toll road in the early hours of today and slammed into the barrier as it overturned on a curved exit ramp at the Krapyak tollway in Semarang, Central JAVA, reports The Sun.
Known for its ancient temples and historic sites, Yogyakarta is a major tourist attraction.
“The forceful impact threw several passengers and left them trapped against the bus body,” said Budiono.
The vehicle was travelling from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, the ancient royal city known as the cultural heart of Java, when disaster struck, leaving twisted wreckage and a rising death toll.
Moreover, the police and rescue teams rushed to the scene and reported that six people were pronounced dead at the roadside, with 10 more dying on the way to the hospital or while undergoing treatment.
18 crash survivors were being treated at two nearby hospitals, while 5 fighting for their lives and 13 were in serious condition, but authorities have not revealed the nationalities of those who suffered in the incident.
Horror tv footage of the incident showed the yellow bus lying at the roadside, surrounded by emergency crews lifting the dead from the devastating scene and rescuing others.
“We are still investigating the cause of the crash and questioning the injured substitute driver,” said Police Chief Ribut Hari Wibowo.
Police informed that the driver also suffered serious injuries in the crash but was conscious and able to speak to investigators while receiving medical treatment.
The officials Police also plan to test the driver for prohibited substances, including drugs.
