Local Editor

Twelve people died during a massive three-day traffic jam in Indonesia that stretched more than 20 kilometers and brought thousands of holidaymakers to a complete standstill, an official said Friday.

The horror traffic at a major highway junction at Brebes, a city on the main island of Java, was so bad that Indonesians dubbed the disastrous toll gate "Brexit", from the words "Brebes exit".

Roads across the world's most populous Muslim-majority country are choked every year at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, as millions head to villages to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which fell Wednesday.

But the chaos at the "Brexit" junction this year was particularly acute in the three days before Eid, as tens of thousands of cars crammed the arterial highway, transport ministry spokesman Hemi Pramuraharjo told AFP.

"In terms of this Brexit case, there's been a total of 12 victims over different days," he said. The deaths occurred between July 3 and July 5, not a single day as earlier reported, he said.

Pramuraharjo said several of the victims were elderly while others died from fatigue and other health complications. Local media reported that a one-year-old suffering from fume poisoning was also among the deceased.

Accidents are not uncommon during the holiday odysseys, particularly on the potholed roads of overcrowded Java, home to more than half of Indonesia's 255 million people.

For its part, the health ministry denied earlier reports the "Brexit" victims died in a single day, and urged motorists planning a long journey to rest and take all necessary precautions.

The ministry's Achmad Yurianto said in a statement the heavy use of air conditioning could also lead to an increase in carbon dioxide within the cramped confines of the car.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team