Collision between two trains in Central Java: dozens dead
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – There are at least 34 confirmed dead so far the collision this morning after between two trains in Petarukan a sub district of Pemalang in Central Java.
The luxury KA Argo Bromo train with its final destination in the provincial capital of Surabaya in East Java collided with the economy KA Senja Utama from Jakarta to Semarang. The death toll could possibly rise due to many bodies still trapped inside the train’s wagon wreckage.
Rescue workers are still trying to “evacuate” the severely injured and wounded passengers of the two trains as heavy equipment is not yet available on the scene because of the distance from main train centre both in Semarang and Jakarta. Local residents and police force confess that the evacuation is still hampered by the absence of a train crane.
Despite poor management – particularly hygiene standards and punctuality – trains are the most common form of transportation across Indonesian society. Railway travel costs less and is quicker than public buses or personal vehicles. Trains are only available in Java and Sumatra and date to the Dutch colonial era. In Sumatra, trains operate in North and South Sumatra, with a lower passenger load compared to Java.
From early reports, it appears that accident took place when the KA Argo Bromo crashed into the KA Senja Utama from behind. Luxury trains have priority over the entire rail network and the economy train was supposed to stop at a local station.
The dead and injured were taken to two hospitals in Pemalang: the CatholicSt Mary’s and in the Islamic Hasym Ashari. But Pemalang is only a sub-district and it is likely that the injured will be transported elsewhere, since the two hospitals are not equipped with specialists in surgery and other areas.
The predawn crash is perhaps the worst rail accident in the history of Indonesia.
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