27 Killed, 39 Injured as Bus Carrying Students Plunges Into Ravine in Indonesia

The bus was carrying students, teachers and parents who were returning from after visiting the pilgrimage site in Tasikmalaya district.

A tourist bus plunged into a ravine at Subang in West Java Province, Indonesia, killing 27 people and injuring 39 others. Reports claim that the brakes of the bus malfunctioned and the driver lost control of the vehicle.

The bus was carrying a group of Islamic junior high school students along with teachers and parents when the driver lost balance of the vehicle on a road with sharp declines. The students were returning after visiting the pilgrimage site in Tasikmalaya district.

Indonesia accident
A tourist bus fell into ravine killing 27 people in Indonesia. Youtube Screengrab

The exact reason for the accident has not been ascertained yet and the police are investigating the case. But as per survivors' account the brakes of the bus malfunctioned. The accident occurred on the night of March 10 and rescuers searched through the night and tried to get the survivors and injured out of the wreckage.

Speaking to Channel News Asia, Bandung search and rescue agency chief Deden Ridwansah said that 27 bodies and 39 injured people have been shifted to a hospital and a nearby health clinic. The body of a young boy is said to have been found pinned under the overturned bus on Thursday morning.

Shocked Relatives Try to Identify Bodies

Thirteen passengers are said to be severely injured. The driver of the bus also has been killed in the fatal crash. The cops and rescuers from the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) rushed to the spot and were seen evacuating the victims. On hearing the news, the shocked relatives gathered in front of Sumedang General Hospital and were seen grieving for the loss of their loved ones. Relatives were also seen frantically trying to identify the bodies at the morgue.

Reports also claim that infrastructure along the roads are not strong and safety measures are not applied, thus making accidents a frequent phenomenon in Indonesia. In a similar accident, at least 35 people died when a passenger bus fell into an 80 m- deep ravine on Sumatra Island in December 2019. A year before that 27 people were killed when a tourist bus met with an accident in the West Java region.

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