No fewer than 14 people were killed and dozens injured in a train accident in Indonesia that took place when a stationary passenger train was hit from behind by a long-distance commuter train running on the same track.
Local media ran footage of passengers on medical trolleys near Bekasi Timur Station, with other images showing rescuers trying to free people from the train wreckage.
“There are still victims who are alive, but they’re pinned by train material,” Mohammad Syafii, who leads Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, told reporters early on Tuesday.
“There are some victims who are alive to this minute, and we’re hoping to extricate them,” he said. “We need to involve personnel with certain skills to perform a measured extrication.”
According to Bobby Rasyidin, president director of state-owned railway operator KAI, 84 people are being treated for injuries in nearby hospitals following an accident involving a taxi and three commuter trains.
The accident occurred around 20:00 on Monday when one of the commuter trains collided with the taxi, which was lying across the rail crossing.
A second train was forced to halt at the station as a result of the incident. Nearly an hour later, the third train, a long-distance commuter train, collided with the second train’s women-only carriage as it pulled into the station.
According to one passenger who spoke with the BBC’s Indonesia service, other individuals yelled “hysterically” when the trains crashed. Other witnesses reported seeing “many victims” injured in the incident.
Jakarta Police Chief Insp Gen Asep Edi Suheri stated that six or seven persons were still stuck within the carriages.
Medical expenditures for the injured and funeral expenses for the deceased will be entirely covered by KAI and insurance, according to authorities, who also announced that the Bekasi Timur Station will be closed to commuters for the remainder of Tuesday.
Indonesia’s public transportation network has a high accident rate due to aging infrastructure and poor maintenance.
In January 2024, two trains collided in a rice field in Cicalengka, resulting in several fatalities and numerous injuries.
