A tragic incident occurred in Indonesia’s West Java province as a bus, carrying 61 students and teachers from a high school in Depok, slammed into cars and motorbikes after its brakes apparently malfunctioned. The group was returning from a graduation celebration in the hilly resort area of Bandung late Saturday. The accident resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people, mostly students, and left dozens injured.
According to West Java police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast, the bus lost control on a downhill road, crossing lanes and colliding with several vehicles before crashing into an electricity pole. Nine individuals died at the scene, while two others, including a teacher and a local motorist, succumbed to their injuries later in the hospital. Fifty-three individuals were hospitalized, some in critical condition.
Abast stated, “We are still investigating the cause of the accident, but a preliminary investigation showed the bus’s brakes malfunctioned.” Local television footage showed the bus, severely damaged and lying on its side in the darkness, surrounded by rescuers and ambulances.
Road accidents are unfortunately common in Indonesia due to inadequate safety standards and infrastructure. Past incidents include a tourist bus crashing into a billboard in East Java last year, resulting in at least 14 deaths, and a tourist bus plunging into a ravine in the West Java resort of Puncak in 2021, killing at least 27 people.