12 die of heatstroke after being stuck in Indonesia traffic jam

A long traffic jam on a highway in Indonesia, caused the death of at least 12 people, according to police. Brebes police said that the 12 victims have died from dehydration and exhaustion while sitting in traffic following holiday celebrations. Traffic filled three lanes for several days in Java, as revelers made their way home. Residents called the road Brexit, combining the words Brebes and exit. The traffic jam, which lasted for three days and stretched over 20 miles, was caused by road construction that blocked several lanes.

Most of the victims were elderly and died in hot cars, police said. One child died after being poisoned by a faulty exhaust pipe. The daytime temperature on the highway was around 90 degrees. All deaths occurred on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Officials have set up a hotline for stranded drivers to call in a medical emergency, but they admitted that it would be impossible to reach them. Hemi Pramuraharjo, who is the minister of transportation, admitted that he has no solution to the traffic jams.