At least 14 dead and 84 injured in Indonesia train crash | World News

At least 14 people have been killed in a train collision in western Indonesia, with another 84 injured, according to the country’s train operator.

The collision between a commuter train and long-distance service happened late on Monday in Bekasi, just east of Jakarta, the country’s capital and the world’s most populous city.

Mohammad Syafii, the head of the country’s search and rescue agency, said during a news conference that it was a delicate process to rescue survivors from the mangled carriages.

“There are some victims who are alive to this minute, and we’re hoping to extricate them, but they’re still pinned by the train material,” he said.

Passenger’s lucky change of plan

Bobby Rasyidin, chief executive of state railway firm PT KAI, said the commuter train first collided with a taxi on the tracks and was then hit by the long-distance train, adding that a women-only carriage bore the brunt of the crash.

One passenger, Heriyati, said she initially intended to use the women’s-only carriage but opted for the one behind it.

She told Reuters she had been on a call with her husband, asking him to pick her up from the station when the collision occurred.

“I haven’t even finished with the call, and the trains collided,” she said.

Read more from Sky News:
Judgement day for Starmer
Iran war could hit your holidays, PM says

Taxi operator Green SM Indonesia confirmed on social media the taxi involved was a part of its fleet and had sent information to authorities to assist in their investigation.

Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto said he had agreed to build a flyover near the tracks to help ease heavy traffic congestion.

He added that large parts of the country’s train network are not well-maintained.

Land transport accidents are common in Indonesia, with another train collision in West Java province in 2024 killing four people and leaving dozens more injured.