Twelve people have died during a massive three-day traffic jam in Indonesia that stretched more than 20 kilometres and brought thousands of holiday-makers to a complete standstill, an official said on 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".

"There's no space on the road. We don't have a solution."

Responding to the controversy, 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.