Tragic highway crash in Indonesia's West Java kills 12 people

JAKARTA (Bernama): At least 12 people were killed in a highway accident in Karawang, West Java, at 7.30 am local time today, the police said.

Traffic Corps chief Inspector-General Aan Suhanan said the tragic incident occurred on the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road at KM58. It involved a bus, a minivan, and a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).

"The cause of the incident is being investigated,” he said.

Aan said the Disaster Victim Investigation team has been assigned to identify the victims’ bodies at the Karawang Hospital.

Initial findings suggest that a minivan travelling from Jakarta through the contraflow lane had experienced a mechanical issue, leading to a collision with an oncoming bus, and it burst into flames.

Subsequently, an MPV collided with the burning minivan, according to West Java Police’s spokesperson Commissioner Jules Abraham.

The incident caused a 16-km traffic jam amidst the influx of people returning to their hometowns to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri. - Bernama