Fatal Accident in Simalungun, 3 Tourists Died on the Way to Lake Toba

Illustration of a traffic accident (Antara)

PEMATANG RAYA - A family vacation trip from Riau to Lake Toba ended in tragedy after the car they were traveling in had a fatal accident on the alternative route to Parapat, Simalungun Regency, Tuesday, March 24.

The incident resulted in three people dying at the scene, two of whom were high school students.

The accident occurred in Talun Sungkit Village, Nagori Pondok Bulu, Dolok Panribuan District. This event was recorded by residents and the video went viral on social media.

The officer of the Simalungun Police Traffic Unit, Budi Chandra, explained that the accident started when the minibus with the police number BM 1796 UL drove on a steep road towards Parapat.

In front of him, a BK 9233 CE tronton truck was speeding up, which was suspected of not being strong enough to climb. The truck then suddenly retreated and hit the minibus right behind it.

"As a result of the incident, the front of the car was broken and caused the passenger to be trapped," he said.

The three victims who died were Sunarno as the driver, as well as two students, Jihan Maelani (17) and Yenni Havizah (17), who are known to come from Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau.

All the victims were part of a family group from Inti Raya Village, Simpang Kanan District, Bagan Batu.

Meanwhile, the other three passengers survived, namely Fahmi, Sukarno, and Watini - the grandmother of one of the victims - who only suffered minor injuries.

After conducting a crime scene (TKP) and evacuation, officers took the victim's body to the Dr. Djasamen Saragih Hospital for a visa process.

On the other hand, the parents of one of the victims, Amirullah, said the group initially wanted to go on vacation to Lake Toba. However, their journey ended tragically before reaching their destination.

The police are still conducting further investigations, including examining the condition of the vehicle and the possibility of the driver's negligence in the incident.