Rescuers are battling to reach trapped passengers after two trains crashed at Bekasi Timur Station outside Jakarta, leaving four people dead and 38 injured, officials said
At least four people have been killed and dozens more left trapped after two trains collided in Indonesia.
One train ploughed into another at a station on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta, leaving passengers stranded in a severely mangled carriage, officials confirmed.
State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia announced in a statement that four fatalities had been confirmed, with around 38 passengers transported to hospital for treatment.
The long-distance Argo Bromo Anggrek train struck the rear carriage of a commuter service that had been stationary at Bekasi Timur Station. The stricken carriage had been designated as women-only – a widely used measure introduced to help tackle harassment on public transport.
Emergency crews have been working tirelessly to reach five passengers still trapped inside the commuter carriage, with authorities warning the death toll may yet rise. Witnesses reported hearing screams from passengers as the two trains collided, reports the Mirror.
Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by the extent of the damage to the carriages, which has restricted access to the crash site, forcing emergency workers to slice through mangled metal to reach those still trapped.
Authorities also temporarily cut overhead electrical power along the Cibitung–East Bekasi line to guarantee the safety of those involved in the evacuation operation. Injured passengers have been transported to nearby medical facilities, including Bekasi Regional Hospital, where casualty departments have reportedly been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of patients. Initial reports indicate that many of those hurt were women making their way home from work, with some sustaining fractures.
All 240 passengers aboard the Argo Bromo Anggrek train were confirmed safe, according to officials. Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri told reporters at the scene that officers were looking into the cause of the collision.
Footage broadcast on local television and circulated across social media showed passengers at the station in a state of panic, while dozens of anxious relatives descended on the station seeking news of loved ones. The state-owned rail operator issued an apology to its customers.
Crashes are far from uncommon on Indonesia’s ageing rail network. In January 2024, two trains collided in West Java province, claiming at least four lives. On that occasion the Turangga express train carrying 287 passengers was travelling from Surabaya, the capital of East Java province, when it ploughed into a Bandung Raya commuter train with 191 passengers heading to Padalarang from Haurpugur station at about 6.03am.
Back in October 2013, a passenger train ploughed into a minibus at an unguarded level crossing in West Java, leaving 13 people dead. In 2010, a train from Jakarta crashed into the rear of a stationary train at a station in Central Java province, killing 36 people.
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