INDONESIA: 27 people feared killed, dozens injured after bus plunges into river

Tragedy struck in the South Sumatra province of Indonesia when a bus loaded with passengers plunged into a 150m gulley just before midnight on Monday and ended up in a nearby river.

Rescue officials on Tuesday said that at least 27 people have died and more than a dozen were injured after the tragic incident happened in a remote and steep area near the town of Pagar Alam, hampering search efforts.

Rescuers were also scouring nearby slopes for the missing.

“The current in the river is quite strong so there’s a possibility some victims were carried away,” Kowaas told Kompas TV Tuesday.

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According to local police chief Dolly Gumara, the bus was carrying more people than initially believed and several passengers could still be missing.

No other vehicle was involved in the accident, she added.

According to a passenger manifest, the regional bus left Bengkulu province for Pagar Alam with 27 on board but some survivors told police there were around 50 people inside when the accident happened.

“Some passengers were probably added along the way so there’s a possibility some more people are still missing in the river,” Gumara said, adding the cause was being investigated.

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