At least 17 students have lost their lives and five others been seriously wounded in a road accident in western Indonesia.

A truck carrying some 50 primary and high school students plunged into a three-meter ravine in Central Tapanuli Regency, on the western island of North Sumatra, on Thursday, the local police chief was quoted as saying.

“The victims were elementary school pupils as well as junior and senior high school students,” DPA quoted the police chief as saying.

The official said the truck driver, who has survived with injuries, was under investigation by the police.

Meanwhile, the traffic unit chief at Central Tapanuli Police told the Indonesian English-language daily, The Jakarta Post, that the dead had been removed from the scene of the crash. However, “there is a possibility that the death toll will increase. The police are searching the ravine for more bodies.”

According to the top traffic official, the incident happened when one of the tires of the truck ruptured.

Road accidents occur frequently in Indonesia, an archipelago comprising more than 17,000 islands, due to poor safety standards and infrastructure.

MIS/NN/GHN