Three people died in a traffic collision on an intercity highway in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, early on Wednesday.

The accident, which took place on the Sumatra Highway (Jalinsum) lane from the provincial capital of Medan heading to the Berastagi tourism area in Karo, occurred when an excavator crashed into a truck coming from the opposite direction at 2 a.m.

The accident disrupted intercity traffic between Berastagi and Medan for the rest of the day.

Two victims have been identified as Andareas Karo-Karo, 25, and Safril Pandapotan Hutasoit, 27. Meanwhile, the third body is yet to be identified. All of the bodies have been taken to the Adam Malik Central Hospital in Medan.

Spokesperson of Adam Malik Hospital Rosario Dorothy Simanjuntak said the victims suffered from severe injuries to their heads, chests and legs. The bodies are still at the hospital.

Separately, the head of Medan Police traffic unit Adj. Sr. Comr. Julianti Prihatini said the police were still investigating the cause of the accident.

“We are still investigating what caused the crash between the vehicles,” she said on Wednesday. (dpk)