A traffic accident befell a PO Gunung Harta double-decker bus on the Nganjuk Toll Road KM 631 in the early hours of Saturday (1/8/2026). The bus, traveling the Jakarta–Jember route, was completely burnt at around 00:15 WIB. Fortunately, 30 passengers along with three bus crew members managed to escape before the flames engulfed the entire body of the vehicle.
The incident began when the Volvo bus with license plate number B 7572 KGA, driven by Purwanto (61), was traveling from the west. Mid-journey, the bus's electrical system suddenly malfunctioned, marked by the sudden blackout of all cabin lights. Noticing a plume of smoke coming from the front of the vehicle, the driver immediately pulled the bus over onto the shoulder of the toll road to take emergency action.
For safety, the driver immediately turned off all electrical and air conditioning (AC) systems, then woke up the backup driver and the conductor to evacuate the sleeping passengers. Thanks to the crew's quick response, all passengers managed to get out safely, although some luggage in the cargo hold could not be saved and was also burnt to ashes.
The firefighting process involved a combined fleet of six fire engines from Nganjuk Regency and Madiun Regency. The fire was only brought under control after two hours of intensive efforts, leaving only the charred frame of the bus. The incident, which befell this new bus fleet, is estimated to have caused material losses of up to Rp3.5 billion.
During the firefighting and lane-clearing process, personnel from the East Java PJR Unit 6 Nganjuk along with Jasa Marga officers stood by at the location to regulate the flow of toll traffic. Up to now, the police are still conducting an in-depth investigation to determine the exact cause of the electrical failure that triggered the massive fire.
