At least four people died in two separate accidents as they headed home for their Idul Fitri holidays, a process known locally as mudik, in Central Java on Thursday afternoon.

Second Insp. Daffif Paradhi, the head of the traffic accident unit at Pati precinct, said a Toyota Avanza car carrying seven people from Tangerang, Banten, had hit a mother and a child on a motorcycle on the northern coastal highway (Pantura) in Pati, Central Java.

'€œWe suspect the car driver was sleepy, because he suddenly swerved to the right and hit the motorcycle that was coming from the opposite direction,'€ he said.

Daffif said his unit was investigating the cause of the accident, as well as attempting to locate the runaway driver, who had been hired with the car to take the travelers to their hometown in Madura, East Java.

Separately, First Insp. Galuh Pandu Pandega, the head of the traffic accident unit at Purbalingga precinct, said Agus Sugiantoro, a 35-year-old male bus driver, had caused the deaths of a motorcyclist and his passenger, as well as heavily injuring three other motorcyclists, due to a brake failure in Purbalingga, Central Java.

The dead were Sukamto, a 41-year-old man from Kertanegara, Central Java, and Eko Nugroho, 29-year-old man from Banjarnegara, Central Java, while the three injured victims were being treated at Goeteng Public Hospital in Purbalingga.

Meanwhile, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said he was angry after he received a report of a bus passing through the newly repaired Comal Bridge, which connected Pemalang and Pekalongan in the province.

Recently, the Comal Bridge was damaged due to erosion caused by the currents of the Comal River. (gda)

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