BEKASI, Indonesia — Emergency teams continued their delicate rescue operation Tuesday to free three individuals still stuck inside a severely damaged commuter train car following a fatal collision near Jakarta that claimed at least seven lives.
The deadly accident occurred Monday when a long-distance train slammed into the back of a stationary commuter train at Bekasi Timur Station, located outside Indonesia’s capital city. The damaged car was part of a women-only section, which Indonesian railways commonly provide to prevent harassment of female passengers.
Hospital officials reported treating 81 people for injuries sustained in the crash. Bobby Rasyidin, who leads the state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia, explained the challenging nature of the rescue operation to news media. “The evacuations are taking a long time … and we’re doing it very carefully,” Rasyidin stated.
Railway officials confirmed that all 240 passengers aboard the Argo Bromo Anggrek long-distance train escaped without injury.
Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri announced that investigators are examining what led to the collision.
According to Rasyidin, the incident may be connected to a separate crash involving a commuter train and a stalled taxi at a nearby crossing, which potentially caused disruptions to the rail system.
“As for the chronology of events, we are leaving it to the National Transportation Safety Committee to investigate the cause of tonight’s train accident in greater detail,” Rasyidin explained.
Train accidents occur frequently across Indonesia’s deteriorating railway infrastructure. Earlier this year in January, a collision between two trains in West Java province resulted in at least four fatalities.
