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Head-On Bus–Fuel Tanker Crash in South Sumatra Kills 16

Police now focus on reports the bus swerved to avoid a pothole.

Overview

  • The collision, which happened Wednesday on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in North Musi Rawas, left at least 16 dead and four injured.
  • An intercity bus traveling from Lubuklinggau to Jambi hit a diesel tanker coming the other way, igniting a fire that engulfed both vehicles.
  • Rescuers found several victims trapped in the wreck as firefighters battled thick smoke and flames captured in National Search and Rescue Agency videos.
  • Hospitals received 16 body bags for identification, with DVI teams confirming five names and preparing the rest for transfer to Bhayangkara Police Hospital in Palembang.
  • Local officials first mentioned a tyre problem or sparks, but investigators now say the bus likely entered the opposite lane to avoid a pothole, with the probe still underway.