Dump truck carrying children crashes in Indonesia, 17 killed

MEDAN, Indonesia, May 28 (AP) — Police say a dump truck carrying children of plantation workers to school plunged into a ditch in western Indonesia, killing 17 of them.

Local traffic police Capt. M. Syafei said five other students were hurt in the crash Thursday morning near the palm oil plantation in Tapanuli Tengah District in North Sumatra province. Most of the about 50 passengers were students from elementary to high schools.

Syafei said the truck crashed into the two-meter ditch after one of its wheels was loosened. He said the truck driver survived and was being questioned as a suspect.

Transporting people in vehicles like dump trucks is prohibited in Indonesia, but is common in rural areas.