Jakarta – Sixteen people were killed on Wednesday after a passenger bus collided with a fuel truck on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in North Musi Rawas regency, South Sumatra, just 10 days after a double train crash in Greater Jakarta also claimed 16 lives, renewing concerns over national transportation safety standards.
Sumatra Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Nandang Mu'min Wijaya said out of the fatal victims, 14 were aboard the bus operated by Antar Lintas Sumatera (ALS), including the driver, and the remaining two were the driver of the tanker truck and his assistant.
"Besides the fatalities, three people suffered severe burns and one sustained minor injuries. Material losses are estimated at around Rp 500 million [US$28,782]," he said.
According to the preliminary investigation into the head-on collision, the bus driver, identified as A, was apparently trying to avoid a pothole when he swerved into the opposite lane, directly into the path of the oncoming tanker truck, driven by Y.
"The impact triggered a large explosion, causing both vehicles to be engulfed in flames," Nandang added.
Authorities evacuated all victims to Siti Aisyah Regional General Hospital in Lubuklinggau, and then transferred the bodies of those killed to Bhayangkara Mohammad Hoesin Central General Hospital in Palembang for identification by the National Police's Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team.
The police are investigating the site of the accident, interviewing witnesses and examining the vehicles' conditions to determine the cause of the fatal crash.
While scouring the crime scene, officers found evidence inside the bus that was thought "to have intensified the fire after the explosion", Nandang said.
These included gas cylinders in the luggage compartment, wooden chairs, a motorcycle engine and two motorcycles, one aboard the bus and the other lashed to the front of the bus.
Wave of accidents
Exactly a year earlier on May 6, 2025, another fatal accident involving an ALS bus occurred in West Sumatra.
The bus, carrying 30 passengers and four crew members, was traveling from Bukittinggi to Padang when its brakes failed as it was approaching the Padang Panjang bus terminal, Antara reported on Wednesday. It veered left, overturned and crashed into the fence of a house, killing 12 people and injuring 22.
Most recently on April 27, the intercity Argo Bromo Anggrek train crashed into the rear of a Commuter Line train at Bekasi Timur Station, killing 16 passengers aboard the women-only car and injuring 90 others.
Abdul Hadi of House Commission V, which oversees infrastructure and transportation, said on Thursday that the incident should serve as a serious warning for policymakers to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of national standards for transport safety.
The politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) urged the government and relevant stakeholders to carry out a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident, including vehicle roadworthiness, road conditions and the operators' standard operating procedures, including oversight of drivers' working hours and conditions.
"The government and all stakeholders must ensure that public safety is the top priority, not undermined by negligence or weak oversight," he said.
"We hope this tragedy becomes a turning point for serious reform of the national transportation system, so that it is more focused on human safety." (vny)