Bus-truck collision in Indonesia kills 10, injures 15

Ten people were killed and 15 others injured when a truck collided head on with a packed bus.

Ten people were killed and 15 others injured when a truck collided head on with a packed bus on Saturday, sending it hurtling into a river on Indonesia's Java island, police said.

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The accident occurred as the speeding truck changed lanes to miss a pothole in the town of Ngawi in East Java.

The truck slammed into the bus hauling 30 people, then plunged into a river near Ngawi, about 520 kilometers (320 miles) east of Jakarta, said local police Capt Irfan Susanto.

Six passengers were killed instantly, and four others, including the bus driver, died in nearby hospitals, he said. Fifteen others were hospitalised with cuts and broken bones. Some remained in critical condition, including the truck driver and a 3-year-old boy, Susanto said.

"It's the most unsafe road in this area due to holes and damaged pavement that has not yet been repaired," Susanto said. "Drivers have to watch out and slow down."

Road accidents are common on Indonesia's crowded highways, where buses and trucks are poorly maintained and traffic laws are often ignored.