Rescuers work to reach three trapped after fatal train crash near Jakarta

Rescue crews in Indonesia were working Tuesday to reach three people still trapped inside a heavily damaged commuter train car following a collision near the capital that killed at least seven people.

According to a statement from state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia, a long-distance train struck the rear car of a stopped commuter train Monday at Bekasi Timur Station, east of Jakarta. The impacted car was designated for women, a service commonly used in Indonesia to reduce harassment on public transit.

A total of 81 injured passengers were transported to hospital for treatment, the railway’s chief executive, Bobby Rasyidin, said during a media briefing. He said the rescue effort was ongoing and proceeding cautiously due to the condition of the wreckage.

“All 240 passengers on the Argo Bromo Anggrek long-distance train were safe,” Rasyidin said. Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri told reporters at the scene.

Rasyidin said a separate rail incident involving a commuter train striking a stalled taxi at a nearby crossing may have disrupted the signalling system, though he added that the National Transportation Safety Committee would determine the sequence of events.

Rail accidents remain a recurring concern in Indonesia’s aging rail network. According to past reports, a collision in West Java in January 2024 killed at least four people.