INDONESIA’S President Prabowo Subianto has ordered an immediate investigation into a fatal train collision that claimed 14 lives and left at least 84 passengers injured near Jakarta.
The directive came after the president visited victims receiving treatment in hospital in Bekasi, where he also conveyed his condolences to the families of those killed in the incident.
Emergency response operations involving multiple agencies continued for 12 hours at the crash site near Bekasi Timur Station before concluding once all trapped victims had been successfully extricated.
AFP reported on Tuesday that the collision occurred when a long-distance train rammed into a commuter train that had come to a halt on the tracks, resulting in significant casualties and widespread panic among passengers.
One survivor, Sausan Sarifah, 29, recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the impact.
“All passengers were preparing to disembark when there was a very loud crash. We had no time to save ourselves.
“All the passengers were piled on top of each other inside the train, crushed against one another. I myself do not know the condition of those beneath me,” she said.
According to Franoto Wibowo, spokesperson for state-owned rail operator Kereta Api Indonesia, preliminary findings indicate that the accident was triggered when a taxi allegedly struck the commuter train at a level crossing, forcing it to stop on the tracks before being hit by the oncoming long-distance service.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the sequence of events leading to the crash, as concerns mount over railway safety and crossing management in densely populated areas. - April 28, 2026
