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17 students killed after truck loses front wheel
Deadly crash: People crowd around a truck that flipped over after it skidded off a highway in Sirandorung, Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, on Thursday
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Deadly crash: People crowd around a truck that flipped over after it skidded off a highway in Sirandorung, Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, on Thursday. Seventeen students on board were killed in the accident.(Antara) (Antara)
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span class="inline inline-center">Deadly crash: People crowd around a truck that flipped over after it skidded off a highway in Sirandorung, Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, on Thursday. Seventeen students on board were killed in the accident.(Antara)
Sixteen-year-old Roka Silalahi was shocked to hear that 17 of her classmates were killed Thursday when a truck they were traveling in crashed into a muddy trench in Masnauli village, Sirandorung district, Central Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra.
Roka, a 10th grader at SMU 1 Manduamas senior high school was lucky to be spared from the fatal accident, which took place at 7:30 a.m. local time.
She said she was thrown from the vehicle when it turned over onto its right side. Roka added that she was knocked unconscious by the fall.
'I only became conscious when I was already in the clinic. My right leg and left cheek were bruised when I was tossed from the truck,' Roka told The Jakarta Post Thursday afternoon.
Roka was one of five students hurt in the accident. Roka was treated at the Manduamas community health clinic.
The truck was carrying around 40 students and was traveling at medium speed heading for the students' school.
As they arrived in Masnauli village, the truck driver tried to pass another truck, Roka said. But after overtaking the truck, the vehicle the students were traveling in swayed as a front wheel detached.
'When the truck was swaying, several of my friends and I were thrown from the truck, while the others remained in the truck until it crashed into a muddy drain upside down,' said Roka.
Central Tapanuli Traffic Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. M. Syafi'i said the police were investigating the accident. Syafi'i added that police were still questioning the truck driver, identified as Rahmadani, 25.
'We are questioning the driver as a witness. He survived and did not suffer injuries in the accident,' Syafi'i told the Post.
Based on the driver's account, said Syafi'i, the accident happened because one of the front tires detached when he was passing the truck in front of him. Then, continued Syafi'i, the driver was unable to control the speed of the truck so it overturned and crashed into the 2.5-meter deep drain.
Syafi'i said the overturned truck crashed into the drain, tipped over and fell on the students, and made it difficult for them to get out of the mud.
'The students tried to escape the deep mud, but due to the narrow space and lack of oxygen, they could not make it,' said Syafi'i, adding that 11 male and six female students were killed in the incident.
The deceased have been identified as Gabriel Laia, 12, Villiana Laia, 16, Rosalinda Manik, 16, Risdawati Hutagalung, 16, Boy Tinambunan, 17, Indah Tinambunan, 16, Upiana Laia, 15, Bona Manik, 14, Ariantinus Manalu, 16, Arifianus Manalu, 14, Agusman Delau, 15, Ranto Manalu, 16, Paulinus Tumanggor, 15, Jones Hulu, 13, Erwinto Nainggolan, 17, Purnama Sari, 17, and Viktor Delau, 15. All of them were children of employees of the PT Sinar Gunung Sawit Raya (SGSR) oil palm plantation company.
Acting Central Tapanuli regent Syukron Tanjung has requested police investigate the case thoroughly, especially the use of a truck that was not roadworthy. He said he was surprised to learn that a vehicle that was not roadworthy was still being used to take students to school.
