Jakarta. Twenty-one people, mostly elementary school students, were injured on Thursday after a delivery vehicle for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program crashed into a crowd at SDN 01 Kalibaru elementary school in Cilincing, North Jakarta.

Police say the driver admitted he accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake as he attempted to enter the school grounds.

Cilincing Police Chief Bobi Subasri said the crash occurred on an uphill section inside the school compound. The driver told investigators he tried to slow the vehicle as he approached the drop-off point, but the brakes were not responding properly. Panicking, he pressed down harder on what he believed was the brake pedal, only to accelerate the vehicle further.

“This is the driver’s initial statement and not yet final. He said he wanted to brake, but the brakes weren’t working. Out of fear, he pressed the pedal harder, thinking it was the brake, but it turned out to be the gas,” Bobi said.

Police will conduct a full investigation of the crash site, including a technical inspection of the braking and steering systems, to determine whether the incident stemmed from driver error or mechanical failure.

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which oversees the MBG program, said it fully supports the police investigation. Special Staff member Redy Hendra Gunawan said the agency’s priority is to ensure all victims receive medical care, with all treatment costs covered by BGN.

“Following instructions from the BGN head, our focus is making sure every victim receives the best possible treatment. All medical costs will be covered,” Redy said.

Authorities said 21 students and teachers sustained injuries, with several suffering serious trauma after being struck or pinned by the vehicle.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said the vehicle was being operated by a substitute driver on his first day on the job. When the truck entered the school area, the inner gate was still closed, but the vehicle pushed through before plowing into students and teachers gathering in the courtyard for a morning literacy activity.

“The MBG vehicle delivers food here every morning. Today there was a different driver, and the truck entered at high speed despite the gate being shut,” Pramono said during a visit to Koja Regional Hospital, where victims are being treated.

Pramono ordered all hospitals involved to provide maximum care without charging families. “I’ve instructed Koja Hospital’s director to meet all the victims’ needs. The costs will be covered by the provincial government,” he said.

Surveillance footage circulating online shows the white MBG vehicle breaking through the gate and driving straight toward students who were lined up in the yard. Several children were dragged or trapped under the vehicle as teachers and students screamed and scrambled to help.

Jakarta Governor’s Special Staff for Communications, Chico Hakim, confirmed the children had been preparing for a literacy session at the time of the crash. “The children were lining up for a literacy activity when the MBG vehicle suddenly broke through the closed gate,” he said.

The MBG (Free Nutritious Meals) program, launched by President Prabowo Subianto in 2025, provides daily meals to millions of children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers as part of a nationwide effort to reduce malnutrition and support local food economies.