Unable to climb uphill, the microbus overturned on the Balekambang tourist route, Malang

A microbus could not stand the climb and rolled over on the Balekambang Beach tourist route, Malang. Several passengers were injured.

DOK POLSEK BANTUR

A minibus overturned after failing to climb the Balekambang tourism route in Srigonco Village, Bantur District, Malang Regency, East Java, on Saturday (4/5/2024) afternoon.

MALANG, KOMPAS — Microbus containing 25 people who had just visited Balekambang Beach, Srigonco Village, Bantur District, Malang Regency, Java East, reversed and rolled, Saturday (4/5/2024) afternoon. It is suspected that the microbus could not handle the uphill road.

As a result of the incident, five passengers were injured and taken to the local health center due to head injuries and broken arms and legs. The minibus body could only be evacuated around 8pm.

The injured victims are Sulastin (38), Siti Fadilah (41), Lia Dewi Permatasari (18), Dewi Nurul Aini (21), and Suliatin (27). They are all residents of Supiturang Hamlet, Bocek Village, Karangploso District, Malang Regency.

Based on information, the accident occurred on the south side of the intersection between the Gondanglegi-Balekambang route and the southern traffic route.

DOK POLSEK BANTUR

Victims injured in a microbus accident, due to its inability to climb up the Balekambang tourist route in Srigonco Village, Bantur District, Malang Regency, East Java, were taken to Bantur Community Health Center on Saturday afternoon (5/4/2024).

During the incident, a minibus with license plate number W 7065 X, driven by Aan Riawan (31), a resident of Sananrejo Village, Turen District, Malang Regency, was driving away from the beach.

The microbus drives using a second gear transmission. Because he couldn't climb uphill, Aan then tried to shift into first gear, but was unsuccessful. The bus then reversed and hit the Isuzu Elf with plate number AG 7802 UL which was behind it and the bus rolled over.

Also read: Five people swept away by waves in Malang, two of them foreign students

"The bus was not able to climb the hill, then reversed and overturned," said the Head of the Malang Police Traffic Unit, Adjunct Commissioner Adis Dani Garta.

Currently, according to Adis, the evacuation has just been completed for the bus body that previously blocked the road and caused a long traffic jam.

Asked about the fitness of the bus condition, Adis said that they will inspect the vehicle's fitness after the evacuation is completed. According to existing data, the Mitsubishi bus was made in 1994.

KOMPAS/IWAN SETIYAWAN

Balekambang Beach, Malang

One of the residents of Srigonco Village, Rizal (27), stated that during the incident, the weather was clear. "The condition of the road at the accident location was indeed damaged, but not as severe as the road section in Srigonco Village. However, the road condition at the accident location was steeply uphill," he said.

Also read: Tourists Complain about Damage to the Road to the Beach in South Malang

According to Rizal, the condition of the south coast this weekend is quite busy with tourists from outside the area. Apart from Balekambang, on the southern coast of Malang Regency there are a number of beaches with stunning natural conditions, which are connected by the southern causeway which has better road conditions. As a result of the accident, there was quite a long traffic jam.

"Some tourists also had to detour quite far through Sumbermanjing Wetan due to the accident. Not only four-wheeled vehicles, but motorcycles also had a hard time passing through," said Rizal.