Bandung/Makassar/Jakarta – A series of fatal land and sea accidents since last Saturday has claimed dozens of lives and further tarnished the country's public transportation reputation.
On Friday alone, at least 11 people died in a traffic accident on the Nagrek Highway between Badung and Garut in West Java.
In the waters off South Sulawesi, rescuers were still searching for 25 ship passengers missing since their boat capsized on Wednesday night, while in Maluku more teams have joined the search for 23 passengers three days after their boat sank in rough water.
In Bandung, nine people, including their drivers, on a Doa Ibu bus en route between Tasikmalaya-Jakarta and a Bandung-Tasikmalaya minivan died instantly when the two vehicles collided.
A 12-year-old boy died on the way to Hasan Sadikin hospital while a 14-year-old boy died after being treated at the hospital. Ten other passengers were seriously wounded and seven others injured in the accident. Most suffered head injuries and broken bones.
Nagrek Police officer Brig. Khaeruman said most of the victims were on their way home after spending the weekend in Bandung. "The minivan from Bandung was trying to overtake the vehicle up front but it went too far and was hit by the bus coming from Tasikmalaya," he said on Friday.
Last Saturday, a bus carrying schoolchildren on a holiday tour plunged off a bridge into a river in Cipanas, also in West Java, killing 16 people. Another fishing boat accident took place in Pangkajene Island regency waters in South Sulawesi on Wednesday night.
Of the 30 people on board, including six crew, just six have were picked up by the KM Ciremai ship on its way to Makassar from Surabaya, East Java on Thursday. They arrived in Makassar on Friday.
A search team comprising the Navy, the South Sulawesi Search and Rescue Team and the Makassar Public Safety Center has been deployed to the site to search for more survivors.
The six survivors are currently being treated at Soekarno Hatta Port health post, except for one who was taken to Bhayangkara hospital in Makassar in a critical condition.
KM Ciremai representative Andi Nurdin Pantonrangi Mante said the six were found floating in a small raft. "When they were found, they were in poor shape. Hungry, dehydrated and suffering from sunburn," he said.
The fishing boat left Kalukuang Island in the regency on Wednesday morning on its way to Galesong in Takalar regency. But 14 hours later the boat was hit by waves some two meters tall, turning the boat upside down.
Survivor Mattu, a crewmember, said it was hard to hang on to the wreckage because the accident took place at night.
"I didn't know what was going on. But the passengers were scattered around. I couldn't see them clearly since it was dark. Everyone tried to save themselves," he said. When the waves subsided, Mattu and six other passengers collected pieces of woods and made a raft. One of them died.
In Maluku, more teams joined a Friday search for survivors three days after a boat carrying 60 passengers sank in rough seas. Two children were found dead on Wednesday.
The Wahai Star boat ran into engine trouble as it plied its regular route between the islands of Buru and Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, AFP reported.
So far, 35 survivors have been plucked from the sea but five ships were still hunting for some 23 people still missing.