BEKASI, Indonesia — A long-distance train slammed into the rear of a stationary commuter train at Bekasi Timur Station late Monday, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more, Indonesian officials said on Tuesday.
The collision involved the Argo Bromo Anggrek express train from Gambir in Jakarta heading to Surabaya and a KRL Commuter Line train on the Cikarang loop line. The crash occurred around 8:50 p.m. local time on April 27 at the station in Bekasi, on the eastern outskirts of Jakarta in West Java province.
A senior government minister said the death toll had risen to 15, with 88 people injured, according to reports from the scene. Earlier counts from railway officials and local authorities had reported lower figures as rescue operations continued through the night and into Tuesday.
The incident began when a commuter train struck an electric taxi that had stalled on an unofficial level crossing near the station, causing the train to stop. The Argo Bromo Anggrek train then collided with the rear of the stopped commuter train from behind. A carriage reserved for women bore the brunt of the impact, officials and media reports said.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the crash followed the taxi stopping on the crossing, state news agency Antara reported. Railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) and commuter line officials confirmed the sequence of events.
Rescuers worked through Tuesday to free passengers trapped in the damaged carriages. Images from the site showed emergency workers and soldiers examining the wreckage, with at least one commuter car heavily damaged.
"As of now, we are focusing on evacuating passengers and train crew," a spokesperson for the commuter line operator told Reuters earlier in the response.
The crash disrupted rail services on the busy Bekasi-Cikarang corridor. Details on the exact cause, including any potential signal issues or operational factors, were under investigation by authorities and KAI.
No immediate statements were available from KAI on possible safety lapses or prior warnings. Officials have not released the identities of those killed or injured.
As of Tuesday afternoon, rescue operations were continuing at the site, with the death toll and injury count subject to further updates as more information becomes available from hospitals and recovery efforts. Services on affected lines remained suspended or limited.
The incident is one of the more serious train accidents in the Jakarta metropolitan area in recent years, though full details of the investigation remain unclear.
