Motorists are stuck in traffic on April 11, 2024, on a road in Ciawi, West Java. Heavy traffic is a common sight around the Idul Fitri holiday, especially en route to the popular Puncak tourism corridor in Bogor regency just outside Jakarta. - Antara
JAKARTA: A tourist from Cipayung, East Jakarta, passed away on Sunday (Sept 15) amid severe traffic congestion in Puncak, a wildly popular tourist destination located in Bogor regency, West Java.
The Bogor Police's traffic department head Adj Comr Rizky Guntama said that the 56-year-old woman passed away in a tour bus near the Gunung Mas tea plantation because of a breathing difficulty.
"She boarded the bus at around 7pm after visiting the plantation, but not long after that she felt dizzy, had difficulty breathing and was foaming at the mouth," Rizky said as reported by Kompas.
She was evacuated to a nearby mosque because an ambulance which was called to take her to the hospital was stuck in the traffic as well.
Rizky dismissed speculations that the woman died because of exhaustion while sitting in traffic, stating that she most likely died because of an underlying health condition.
People in Greater Jakarta often visit the Puncak area on the weekend or during public holidays, even though the tourism spot is notorious for its severe traffic.
Known for its cool breezes and lush tea plantations, the popular destination has seen an influx of visitors during the long weekend – which centres on the public holiday commemorating the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday on Monday.
Police said that a total of 140,000 vehicles passed the Puncak area on Monday, double the maximum number of vehicles that can be accommodated by the roads in the region.
Videos of thousands of motorcycles and cars stuck unmoving in a few kilometers of traffic gridlock made rounds on social media on Sunday. Some vacationers said that they were stuck in congestion for around eight to 14 hours.
In a bid to ease the traffic, police have been closing down roads leading to Puncak since the early hours of Monday, urging vacationers to find other spots to visit.
Despite the traffic policy, however, severe congestion still affected the popular tourist destination as of Monday morning. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
