Sixteen dead as bus, oil tanker collide in Indonesia

16 people died and 4 people were injured when a passenger bus collided head-on with a fuel tanker on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Mugono, the local disaster management agency official, said the accident occurred at noon on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in North Musi Rawas regency of South Sumatra province, when an intercity bus carrying at least 20 people crashed into a tanker truck heading in the opposite direction.

Mugono said preliminary findings indicate that the bus traveling from Lubuklinggau, South Sumatra, to Jambi may have sparked shortly before the collision. But an oil tanker truck was approaching at high speed and there was little time to avoid a direct collision.

“The strong impact triggered a fire that engulfed both vehicles, leaving many victims trapped inside,” Mugono said. he said.

Mugono said that among the dead were the bus driver and 13 passengers, as well as the tanker driver and his assistant.

Four bus passengers survived the crash and were taken to a nearby medical clinic, including three passengers with serious burn injuries and one person who suffered minor injuries, Mugono said.

While the passenger list is still being tracked, Mugono said authorities are continuing to collect data on the total number of deaths.

Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed thick clouds of black smoke and orange flames billowing into the air as firefighters battled the blaze. The charred remains of the bus and tanker lay on the ground, and twisted metal was strewn across the highway.

Traffic accidents are common in Indonesia due to poor safety standards and infrastructure.