Tragedy struck when a bus carrying over 60 high school students and teachers on a graduation trip crashed on Indonesia’s Java island, claiming the lives of at least eleven individuals and leaving dozens injured. The incident occurred as the bus traversed from the town of Depok to Lembang, a renowned tourist destination, on Saturday evening at 6:48 pm local time.
According to West Java province police spokesman Jules Abraham Abast, the students had just commemorated their graduation and were enjoying a school outing when the bus lost control, veering sharply to the left and colliding with a car and three motorcycles. Among the casualties, nine were students, and one was a teacher, as confirmed by Abast.
Additionally, the collision resulted in the death of one motorcyclist, while 13 individuals sustained severe injuries, and another 40 suffered minor injuries, underscoring the devastating impact of the accident.
While local traffic police chief Undang Syarif Hidayat suggested a possible brake malfunction as the cause of the crash, investigations into the incident are ongoing, as stated by Abast. The incident sheds light on the prevalent issue of road safety in Indonesia, where aged and inadequately maintained vehicles, coupled with lax adherence to traffic regulations, contribute to a high frequency of fatal accidents.
This tragic event follows closely on the heels of another deadly accident last month, where at least 12 lives were lost in a collision involving a car, a bus, and another vehicle on a bustling highway in West Java. The timing of this latest incident adds to the somber reality, occurring as families were traveling to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr, marking the conclusion of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The recurrence of such accidents underscores the urgent need for enhanced safety measures and stricter enforcement of traffic laws to prevent further loss of life on Indonesia’s roads.
