A catastrophic collision between a passenger bus and a fuel tanker truck on Indonesia's Sumatra island has claimed at least 16 lives and left four individuals injured, according to official reports released on Wednesday.
The incident occurred around midday on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in the North Musi Rawas regency of South Sumatra province. An intercity bus carrying a minimum of 20 passengers struck a tanker truck traveling in the opposite direction, said Mugono, a local disaster management agency official who, like many Indonesians, uses a single name.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the bus, which was en route from Lubuklinggau city in South Sumatra to Jambi, may have emitted sparks shortly before the collision. This potentially prompted the driver to steer the vehicle toward the right side of the road in an attempt to avert a more severe incident. However, an oil tanker truck approaching at high speed left little time to avoid a direct impact.
“The forceful impact triggered a fire that engulfed both vehicles, leaving many victims trapped inside,” Mugono stated. The deceased include the bus driver and 13 passengers, as well as the tanker's driver and assistant, all of whom were burned to death inside the vehicles.
Four bus passengers survived the crash and were transported to a nearby health clinic. Among them, three suffered severe burn injuries, while one sustained minor injuries, Mugono added.
Authorities are still compiling data on the total number of fatalities as the passenger manifest is being traced. Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency depicted firefighters battling the blaze, with thick plumes of black smoke and orange flames rising into the air. The charred remains of the bus and tanker truck lay on the ground, with twisted metal scattered across the highway.
Rescuers, including disaster officers and traffic police, worked to evacuate victims and clear the wreckage. However, several individuals were pinned inside the vehicles, complicating rescue efforts and disrupting traffic along the highway, Margono said.
Road accidents are common in Indonesia due to poor safety standards and infrastructure. Last week, a long-distance train collided with a commuter train that had stopped near a station just outside Jakarta, after hitting a taxi that had broken down on the tracks. That crash killed at least 15 female passengers sitting in the rear car, an area designated for women only.
