Indonesia train crash, death toll rises to 14, rescue operation underway

JAKARTA: The death toll in a train collision near the Indonesian capital Jakarta has risen to 14, with 84 people injured, as rescue teams continue to work to rescue passengers trapped in the wreckage.

According to Reuters, the accident occurred on Monday night in the Bekasi area when a passenger train and a long-distance train collided. According to state-owned railway company PTKA, rescue operations are still ongoing and some passengers are still trapped in the coaches.

Rescue officials say that extracting passengers from the twisted coaches is a very delicate stage, for which the help of specialist personnel is being sought. According to eyewitnesses, rescue workers are trying to reach survivors by cutting the coaches with iron-cutting tools.

According to initial information, the passenger train first hit a taxi on the railway track, after which it was hit by another train. The women’s compartment was the worst hit.

After visiting the injured, President Prabowo Subianto announced that a flyover would be built at the scene to ease traffic congestion and ordered an investigation into the cause of the accident. He acknowledged that many of the country’s railway networks lack proper maintenance.

During the rescue, many people rushed to the scene of the accident in search of their loved ones, which led to emotional scenes. One man was seen crying while holding his brother’s blood-stained bag.

According to authorities, land transport accidents are common in Indonesia, and several people were killed and injured in a train accident last year.