Sixteen bodies from the fatal crash between an ALS bus and a fuel truck in Muratara arrived at Bhayangkara Hospital in Palembang on Thursday morning. A DVI team of seven forensic doctors has started the identification process.
The crash occurred around 12:39 WIB on Wednesday on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in Karang Jaya subdistrict, Musi Rawas Utara. The ALS bus traveling from Lubuklinggau toward Medan or Pekanbaru swerved right to avoid a pothole and collided head-on with an oncoming fuel truck.
The 16 fatalities included 14 bus passengers plus the truck driver and his assistant. Five bodies are close to positive identification, among them truck driver Aryanto, passenger Martono, bus driver Alif, and bus crew members Saf and Maleh.
Police formed a joint team to process the scene and determine the exact cause. Preliminary findings point to human error, though potholes on the road were also noted. South Sumatra Police set up a command post at the hospital to assist victims' families.
