Church bus plunges into river, killing 18 in Indonesia
A car and a packed church bus returning from an outing have collided and plunged into a river in Indonesia’s West Java province, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than a dozen others, police said.
The bus, carrying about 60 people from a church in northern Jakarta, was returning from a trip to the hilly resort town of Puncak when its brakes apparently malfunctioned, said local traffic police.
A spokesman said the bus hit a small car and crashed through the wall of a roadside building before both vehicles fell up to 26ft into the river in Cisarua.
At least 18 people were confirmed dead and 40 injured, said the local disaster management agency.
“We are still looking for two kids reportedly crossing the street when the accident happened,” a spokesman added.
Local television footage showed images of both vehicles upside-down in the water. It was not immediately clear if the driver of the car survived.
Most of the dead were killed instantly, and those with injuries were taken to two nearby hospitals.
