On Friday (November 14), local officials in Indonesia reported that a car accident occurred at the tourist destination of Bali, where a rental minibus carrying Chinese tourists veered into a shallow ditch, resulting in at least 5 Chinese tourists dead and 8 others injured.
The head of the local police, Widwan Sutadi, told Reuters that 13 Chinese citizens were traveling from Denpasar to the Buleleng area in northern Bali when the accident happened.
“The driver lost control of the vehicle and swerved sharply to the left, attempting to hit a tree to avoid colliding with another car. However, the minibus was thrown off the road,” he said.
According to the South China Morning Post, Police Chief Sutadi stated in another statement, “Due to the driver’s lack of caution in turning and descending slopes, the vehicle veered off the asphalt road and into a community garden, causing the traffic accident.”
He also added that the Indonesian driver has been arrested.
The injured were taken to a nearby hospital, where 5 people died. The driver survived but sustained injuries.
The Chinese Consulate General in Indonesia also confirmed on Friday that a car accident occurred in Bali, resulting in 5 Chinese citizens dead and 8 injured.
Photos from the scene of the accident show the front of the minibus heavily damaged, with the windshield shattered and the side door deformed.
The road surface near the accident site was dry.
Bali is a popular tourist destination. Official data shows that in 2024, Indonesia welcomed nearly 14 million tourists from all over the world, including about 1.2 million from China. This makes China one of the largest sources of tourists to Indonesia, second only to Malaysia, Australia, and Singapore.