13 killed in Indonesia road crash while returning from wedding ceremony

At least 13 people were killed and five others injured after a pickup truck carrying wedding guests was involved in a devastating road crash on Indonesia's main island of Java.

The accident took place on the North Coast Highway near Kijajaran Kulon village in Indramayu district on Sunday afternoon (July 12).

According to police, the victims were travelling home in a pickup truck after attending a wedding ceremony in neighbouring Pareyan village when the crash occurred.

Local traffic police chief Undang Syarif Hidayat said the pickup had slowed near a U-turn on the highway when it was struck from behind by a wing-box truck travelling in the same direction. The impact hurled the pickup into the opposite lane, where it collided head-on with an oncoming truck.

The powerful collision threw more than a dozen passengers from the pickup onto the highway, killing 13 people at the scene, Hidayat said.

Five injured passengers were rushed to hospital, with several reported to be in critical condition. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.

Fatal road accidents remain common in Indonesia due to factors including overloaded vehicles, inadequate road safety measures and poor compliance with traffic regulations.

Source: ABC News