11 killed, dozens injured in Indonesia after bus carrying students loses control, slams into traffic
- The bus carrying 61 students and teachers sped out of control and crossed lanes, hitting several vehicles before it crashed into an electricity pole
- It was returning from a graduation celebration in the hilly resort area of Bandung, West Java province. Police say the brakes apparently malfunctioned
The bus carrying 61 students and teachers was returning to a high school in Depok outside Jakarta, the capital, late on Saturday from the hilly resort area of Bandung after a graduation celebration, said West Java police spokesman Jules Abraham Abast.
It sped out of control on a downhill road and crossed lanes, hitting several cars and motorbikes before it crashed into an electricity pole, he said.
Nine people died at the scene and two others died later in hospital, including a teacher and a local motorist, Abast said. Fifty-three other people were hospitalised with injuries, including some in critical condition, he said.
“We are still investigating the cause of the accident, but a preliminary investigation showed the bus’s brakes malfunctioned,” Abast said.
Local television footage showed the mangled bus in the darkness on its side, surrounded by rescuers, police and passers-by as ambulances evacuated the injured.