Indonesia train crash: Death toll rises to 14 after collision near Jakarta | VIDEO

Bekasi: The death toll from a rail collision on the outskirts of Jakarta rose to 14 on Tuesday morning as recovery efforts continued at the site of the overnight disaster.

Bobby Rasyidin, the CEO of the state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia, confirmed the updated figure, stating that the remains of the deceased have been transported to a local hospital for identification.

The tragedy occurred when a long-distance train struck a stationary commuter vehicle. Earlier in the day, Anna Purba, a spokesperson for rail operator KAI, reported that at least 81 individuals had sustained injuries in the crash.

Emergency personnel worked frantically through the morning hours to navigate the mangled wreckage. Before the death toll climbed, Purba noted that rescue teams were specifically focused on extracting two individuals who were known to be alive but remained pinned within the crushed carriages.

Account of a Survivor

Sausan Sarifah, 29, described a scene of immediate carnage from her hospital bed at RSUD Bekasi, where she is being treated for a broken arm and a severe leg laceration. Sarifah was returning from work when her commuter train stopped at the Bekasi Timur station, approximately 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the capital.

"It all happened so fast, in a split second," Sarifah told AFP. She recalled that passengers were preparing to disembark following station announcements when the roar of an approaching locomotive preceded the impact.

"There was no time to get out, and everyone ended up piled up inside the train, crushed on top of one another," she said, expressing fear that those at the bottom of the crush may have succumbed to suffocation. "Thank God I was on top, so I could be evacuated quickly."

Cause and Rescue Operations

Preliminary reports suggest the accident was precipitated by a traffic incident. KAI spokesperson Franoto Wibowo stated that a taxi appeared to have struck the commuter train at a level crossing, causing the vessel to stall on the tracks before the long-distance train struck it.

The collision resulted in a chaotic rescue effort, with workers calling for oxygen as a long line of ambulances waited under flashing lights. AFP correspondents observed victims being removed on stretchers as hundreds of stunned bystanders watched the evacuation.

Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, the deputy house speaker, warned that the casualty count could increase as the "evacuation process that is still underway" continues. Wibowo noted that the military, the national search and rescue agency, the fire brigade, and the Red Cross are all assisting in the recovery.

Damage and Context

Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri reported that the long-distance train impacted the final carriage of the commuter train, which was designated for women only. While all fatalities and injuries occurred on the commuter train, the 240 passengers on the long-distance train were reportedly evacuated without injury.

The Jakarta search and rescue agency described "significant damage" to several carriages and confirmed that specialised extrication equipment was being utilised to cut through the metal structures to reach those trapped.

The tragedy marks a persistent issue with transportation safety in Indonesia. In January 2024, a similar collision in West Java killed four crew members, while a 2015 crash between a train and a minibus in Jakarta resulted in 16 deaths. Analysts often cite ageing infrastructure and poor maintenance as contributing factors to the archipelago's frequent maritime, aviation, and rail accidents.

With inputs from AFP