Indonesia: At least 25 dead after bus plunges into ravine

Indonesia: At least 25 dead after bus plunges into ravine

At least 25 people died in Indonesia late on Monday night after a bus plunged into a river, according to police.

A further 13 were injured on the intercity bus from Bengkulu province to Palembang, the capital of neighboring South Sumatra province.

The bus careered into a 150-meter (500-foot) ravine just before midnight (1600 GMT), local police spokesman Dolly Gumara told news agency AFP Tuesday.

“It crashed into the concrete road barrier before plunging into the ravine. Some people are still trapped inside the bus,” Gumara said.

Berty Kowas, the head of the rescue team, told Metro TV: “Currently the evacuation is ongoing and some divers are searching (for victims) around the bus.”

The vehicle was approaching a steep bend in Perahu Dipo village of Pagaralam district when it plummeted into the ravine before settling in a river.