"Preliminary reports stated that 16 people have been confirmed dead in the accident," Mugono, an official at the North Musi Rawas Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), stated.
The 16 fatalities comprised 14 bus passengers, operated by Antar Lintas Sumatera (ALS), as well as the tanker truck driver and his assistant.
Meanwhile, four bus passengers survived the accident, with three suffering serious burn injuries and one sustaining minor injuries.
Mugono said that, according to preliminary reports, the accident occurred when the ALS bus, traveling northward from Lubuklinggau to Pekanbaru and Medan, caught fire while passing through the North Musi Rawas section of the Trans-Sumatra Road at around 12:39 p.m. local time.
Upon noticing the fire, the driver attempted to pull over to the right shoulder to contain it.
However, at the same time, a tanker truck was approaching from the opposite direction. The collision was unavoidable, as the vehicles crashed head-on at high speed, triggering a major blaze.
BPBD rescue officers are coordinating with traffic police to carry out evacuation efforts, focusing on clearing the accident site and assisting the victims.
The operation is ongoing to rescue other passengers still trapped in the bus wreckage, he added.
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Translator: M Imam Pramana, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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