Indonesia: 14 dead, 40 injured in West Java bus accident

[News_Editor]

Indonesia: 14 dead, 40 injured in West Java bus accident

2012-02-11 20:16:06 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least 14 people were killed on early Friday evening when a bus lost control and crashed into several vehicles in the Indonesian province of West Java, local media reported on Saturday. Dozens more were injured.

The accident happened at around 6:30 p.m. local time when the bus, which was traveling from the town of Garut to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, lost control and collided head-on with another bus. The bus then hit three pick-up trucks, four passenger cars, three motorcycles and two mini-buses before plunging into a five-meter (16.4 feet) deep ravine.

Officials told the Jakarta Post that at least 14 people were killed while 40 others were injured and rushed to area hospitals, although rescue efforts were delayed due to heavy traffic in the area. Most of the victims were passengers of the second bus, police said.

In addition to colliding with scores of vehicles, the bus also hit an electricity pole, cutting off electricity in the immediate area.   â€¨

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

Earlier this month, at least eleven people were killed and 22 others were injured when a passenger bus plunged down a ravine after crashing into a truck in the Wado area of Sumedang, also located in West Java.

According to official figures, road accidents kill more than 16,500 people a year in Indonesia, although the actual number is estimated to be more than 37,000. Many accidents in the country are blamed on poor maintenance and dangerous driving as police officers can often be bribed to ignore violations.

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