At least four people were killed and 38 injured in a collision between two trains late Monday night in Bekasi city, adjacent to Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, officials said.
The collision occurred between a commuter line train and a long-distance train at the Bekasi railway station, spokeswoman for commuter line operator Karina Amanda told Reuters, adding that “we are focusing on the evacuation of passengers and train crew.”
A spokesman for Indonesia’s railway operator said in a written statement that four people had died and 38 were airlifted to nearby hospitals.
According to the information, all 240 passengers of the long distance train are safe. It was not clear how many people were on the commuter line train or how many spectators were injured.
Kareena said the cause of the accident was not immediately clear. Jakarta police chief Asep Idi Suheri told reporters that an investigation into the incident was ongoing.
Rescue workers were seen using angle grinders to cut away the metal structure of the train coaches, in which passengers were trapped but seen alive.
Reuters witnesses said at least 20 ambulances were seen at Bekasi station, with rescue workers from Indonesia’s rescue agency also on hand to help evacuate passengers.
Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian Parliament Sufmi Dasko Ahmad fears that the number of victims may continue to rise, while he advises to remain vigilant and expects the evacuation at the confrontation site to be completed quickly to save more victims.
