A train collision near the Indonesian capital Jakarta has killed 14 people and injured 84 others, as rescuers continue to work to free survivors trapped in the wreckage. The crash occurred late on Monday in Bekasi, just outside Jakarta, when a long-distance train slammed into a stationary commuter train.
Details of the Collision
Bobby Rasyidi, chief executive of Indonesia's state railway firm PT KAI, confirmed the death toll had risen to 14 and that evacuation efforts were ongoing. Mohammad Syafii, head of Indonesia's search and rescue agency, described the delicate process of rescuing survivors from the mangled carriages. "We needed to involve personnel with certain skills to perform a measured extrication," he said. "There are some victims who are alive to this minute, and we're hoping to extricate them, but they're still pinned by the train material."
Survivor Accounts
Sausan Sarifah, 29, a survivor of the crash, recounted the terrifying moments from her hospital bed. She was on her way home from work when her train stopped at Bekasi Timur station. "It all happened so fast, in a split second," she said. "There were two announcements from the commuter train. Everyone was ready to get off, and then suddenly there was the sound of the locomotive, really loud." She described how passengers were piled on top of each other, and she feared suffocating. "Thank God I was on top, so I could be evacuated quickly," she added.
Cause of the Crash
According to Franoto Wibowo, a spokesperson for rail operator KAI, a taxi appeared to have clipped the commuter train at a level crossing, causing it to come to a standstill on the tracks, where it was hit by the long-distance train. The collision caused significant damage to several train carriages, with the long-distance train crashing into the last, women-only carriage of the commuter train.
Rescue and Response
At the station, chaotic scenes unfolded as rescue workers shouted for oxygen tanks and ambulances stood by. An AFP reporter witnessed people being carried out on gurneys and loaded into ambulances as hundreds of bystanders looked on. Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, an Indonesian deputy house speaker, said the toll could continue to rise. Franoto told Kompas TV that the military, fire brigade, national search and rescue agency, and Red Cross were aiding in the evacuation. Jakarta's police chief, Asep Edi Suheri, confirmed that all victims were on the commuter train, while all 240 passengers on the long-distance train were evacuated safely.
Hospital Scenes
Eva Chairista, 39, rushed to RSUD hospital after hearing her sister-in-law was injured. She described a frenetic scene of medical triage. "The doctor told us to be patient; there are many whose condition is worse than my sister-in-law's," she said. The last major train crash in Indonesia killed four crew members and injured about two dozen people in West Java in January 2024.
