A severe accident occurred on an Indonesian highway when a passenger bus collided head-on with an oil tanker, causing a large fire. At least 16 people died and 4 were injured.
The incident happened around noon on Wednesday, 6 May, in the North Musi Rawas district of South Sumatra province. An intercity passenger bus traveling from Lubuklinggau to Jambi crashed into an oncoming oil tanker.
Local disaster management officials revealed that before the crash, the bus might have sparked, causing the driver to swerve into the right lane to avoid danger. At that moment, a speeding oil tanker was approaching, making it impossible to avoid the collision.
The impact caused an explosion and quickly engulfed both vehicles in flames. Many passengers were trapped inside and could not escape in time.
Reports stated the fatalities included the bus driver, 13 passengers, the oil tanker driver, and an assistant, totaling at least 16 people. Many bodies were burned inside the wreckage.
Four survivors were taken to a nearby clinic; among them, three suffered severe burns and one had minor injuries.
Images from Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency showed firefighters urgently spraying water to control the fire amid thick black smoke and large flames, with both vehicles almost completely destroyed by the blaze.
Rescue workers and traffic police took considerable time to clear the scene because some victims remained trapped inside the wreckage, causing temporary paralysis of traffic on the main highway.
Indonesia frequently experiences severe road accidents due to ongoing issues with safety standards and inadequate transportation infrastructure.
Source:channelnewsasia
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