Indonesia train crash near Jakarta kills 14, prompts presidential investigation

Indonesian president has ordered an investigation after a long-distance train collided with a stationary commuter train near Bekasi Timur station east of Jakarta.

According to reports, 14 people have been killed and dozens have been injured.

Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency claimed the operation had concluded after 12 hours and no further victims were expected to be found.

Meanwhile, one survivor described the scene as chaotic, saying passengers were trapped inside crushed carriages after the crash.

Moreover, state-owned rail operator KAI reported that 84 people required medical treatment while several remained hospitalized.

Authorities said the crash occurred when a long-distance train struck the rear carriage of a commuter train that was stopped near a level crossing.

The president of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto went to visit the people who got injured. He said that authorities need to find out what happened and make sure such accidents do not happen again. He also said that they need to make the train tracks safer.  

Furthermore, he directed authorities to build bridges over the train tracks for public safety. Accidents like these happen a lot in Indonesia, he noted. The roads and trains are old. It is easy for accidents to happen. 

In recent years, the country has seen multiple rail and road accidents prompting calls for infrastructure upgrades and stricter enforcement of safety regulations.

Authorities said the investigation will focus on determining whether signal failure, human error, or infrastructure issues contributed to the collision.

Officials confirmed that all passengers from the commuter train were involved in the casualty count, while those aboard the long-distance train were safely evacuated without major injuries. Rescue work has now concluded.