16 killed, several injured as bus collides with fuel tanker in Indonesia’s Sumatra

At least 16 people were killed and several others injured in a horrific accident after a bus carrying passengers collided with a fuel tanker on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island on Wednesday, said a disaster agency official. According to disaster management authorities, 14 victims were bus passengers, while two were from the tanker. The accident occurred in North Musi Rawas Regency and led to a massive fire that engulfed both vehicles.

“Fourteen passengers of the bus and two people in the oil tanker died in the crash in North Musi Rawas Regency,” said Hasbi Hasidqi, an official, as local TV broadcast images of wreckage in flames.

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Officials said preliminary findings indicate that a tyre of the bus had burst, following which the driver lost control, resulting in the collision. The impact triggered a blaze as the tanker, which was carrying diesel, caught fire.

The injured persons were rushed to the hospital, with three reported to have suffered serious burn injuries.

Authorities said emergency teams responded quickly, but the intensity of the fire made rescue operations challenging.

Investigations into the latest crash are underway.

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The tragedy comes weeks after a train collision in West Java left multiple casualties, highlighting ongoing safety issues in the transport sector.

A long-distance train slammed into the last, women-only carriage of a stationary commuter train near the Bekasi Timur station in West Java on Monday, killing 16 women and injuring at least 90 people.

Days later, a train hit a car in Central Java, killing four people, including two children.

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Road accidents remain a recurring concern in Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation where buses, trains, and even planes are often old and poorly maintained and are often cited as contributing factors in mishaps.