At least 11 dead, mostly students, in Indonesia bus crash after brakes apparently failed, police say

It sped out of control on a downhill road and crossed lanes, hitting several cars and motorbikes before it crashed into an electricity pole, he said.

https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...ze=450,253 450w, https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...ze=600,338 600w, https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...ze=768,432 768w, https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...ze=720,405 720w, https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...e=1536,864 1536w, https://indianexpress.com/wp-content/upl...ize=150,83 150w" width="1600"> A rescuer stands atop of the wreckage of a bus after an accident in Subang, West Java, Indonesia, late Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo)

Nine people died at the scene and two others died later in the hospital, including a teacher and a local motorist, Abast said. Fifty-three other people were hospitalised with injuries, including some in critical condition, he said.

“We are still investigating the cause of the accident, but a preliminary investigation showed the bus’s brakes malfunctioned,” Abast said.

Local television footage showed the mangled bus in the darkness on its side, surrounded by rescuers, police and passersby as ambulances evacuated the injured.

Road accidents are common in Indonesia due to poor safety standards and infrastructure.

Last year, a tourist bus with an apparently drowsy driver slammed into a billboard on a highway in East Java, killing at least 14 people and injuring 19 others. In 2021, a tourist bus plunged into a ravine in the West Java hilly resort of Puncak after its brakes apparently malfunctioned, killing at least 27 people and injuring 39 others.