Story of a driver who tries to save passengers when the bus falls into a ravine after a pilgrimage tour

KOMPAS.com – The Sari Harun tourist bus carrying 64 passengers from Sumedang sank in a ravine in Tasikmalaya on Tuesday (11/10/2020).

The bus is on its way home after a pilgrimage to a religious tourism site in Pamijahan, Tasikmalaya.

Passing through Kampung Kaca-Kaca, Pamijahan Village, Bantarkalong District, Tasikmalaya Regency, the bus enters a ravine with the bus facing the cliff (nyungsep).

Also read: Bus driver enters a ravine in Pamijahan: Brakes Blong, I aim at the sand dune, but instead falls …

The driver tries to stop the bus.

To the police, the bus driver named Febri Susanto (43) said that when the bus left the terminal of the Syech Abdul Muhyi pilgrimage site, the brakes were still working fine.

Then the bus went up the road downhill with the terrain to the left of the cliff and to the right of the cliff. However, after the bus drove down and uphill about 500 meters from the parking area, the brakes did not work and he tried to stop the vehicle.

“When I wanted to stop the bus, I felt like the brakes weren’t working. I shook them, but it didn’t work,” Febri said.

Also read: Hysterical screams of tourist bus passengers falling into the ravine after a pilgrimage tour

Passengers began to panic after discovering that the bus had failed brakes.

“I crashed to the right and was dragged off the cliff in hopes that the bus would stop,” Febri said. tribunjabar.id.

However, the bus continued to slide and even began to tense up.

When there was a right turn in front, the bus was again attempted to hit the cliff to the right, including planning to hit a sandbar on the edge of the road to the left of the bus to slow down and stop .

Also read: Tourist bus falls into the gorge after the pilgrimage to Pamijahan, dozens of passengers become victims

He admitted that he had done everything possible to save the passengers.

“But suddenly an elf appeared in the opposite direction. I straightened the bus again and finally fell to the bottom of the cliff,” Febri said.

The bus he was driving went straight into the ravine.

Also read: 4 days of parked motorcycles, 2 drivers killed in the ravine of the tourist site

“As soon as it was discovered that the bus brake failed, I tried to close the bus on the right side of the cliff, waiting for the bus to stop,” Febri told the head of the Tasikmalaya Police Traffic Unit, Iptu Engkos. Kosasih, in place on Tuesday (10/11/2020).

Many passengers survived and 34 passengers suffered only minor injuries because they were already clinging to the seat of the bus in front of it, so when the bus entered the field, the passengers were ready.

“Fortunately, the bus did not overturn,” Febri said.

Also read: Saying goodbye to visiting mothers at the hospital, 2 young people found dead at the bottom of the ravine

Residents and police evacuate passengers

Illustration of a bus accident on a highway. Source: Shutterstock

Meanwhile, Kasatlantas Tasikmalaya police, Iptu Engkos Kosasih, said the passengers had spent the night on a pilgrimage at Sheikh Abdul Muhyi’s grave in Pamijahan.

The plan is for them to continue their trip to the tourist object of Cipatujah beach.

“However, upon arriving at the scene, the bus experienced a brake failure and drove uncontrollably and eventually fell to the bottom of the cliff,” Engkos said.

Shortly after the bus jammed, the police, assisted by local residents, helped evacuate all the victims.

Also read: 14 elven passengers enter the ravine, 9-year-old boy killed, dozens of other injuries

To facilitate evacuation, several windows on the bus had to be broken and residents used three bamboos to board the bus, the front of which was at the bottom of the ravine.

The passengers were then rushed to the local puskesmas.

“Alhamdulillah, all 64 passengers, including the driver, survived. 34 of them were taken to the nearest health center because they had minor injuries and sprains,” said Iptu Engkos Kosasih.

The bus accident that was successfully lifted with a tow truck was secured to the Tasikmalaya police headquarters.

SOURCE: KOMPAS.com (Author: Irwan Nugraha | Publisher: Aprillia Ika), TribunJabar.id