A fatal train collision outside Jakarta late Monday killed at least 14 people, the state-owned KAI rail company said on Tuesday. Another 84 people received hospital treatment.
A long-distance train, the Argo Bromo Anggrek, crashed into the rear car of a stopped commuter train at Bekasi Timur Station outside Jakarta. The rear car was designated for women only. KAI spokeswoman Anne Purba said all of the victims were on the commuter train. Officials added that all 240 passengers on the long-distance train were evacuated safely.
Jakarta’s search and rescue agency said the collision caused significant damage to several carriages and that some people were trapped by the force of the impact. Rescuers worked to reach those still pinned inside mangled carriages, with most freed by Tuesday morning. Mohammad Syafii, head of Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, said rescuers needed personnel with specific skills to perform careful extrication and that some victims remained alive but were still trapped by train material.
Rescuers had disengaged the trains, a Reuters witness said. Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri said police were investigating the cause of the accident.
Accidents are common on Indonesia’s aging rail network. In January 2024, two trains collided in West Java, killing at least four people.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko