Driver named suspect in Brebes train crash<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Brebes<\/p>\n
The driver of the Empu Jaya train that collided with another
\ntrain in Brebes, Central Java, killing at least 30 people on
\nTuesday, has been labeled a \"suspect\", police said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Erwin Mappaseng said
\ndriver Muhamad To'at, who is receiving treatment for his injuries
\nat the Tanjung General Hospital in Brebes, was negligent and
\ncaused the death of others.<\/p>\n
Muhamad had reportedly ignored signals and diverted his train
\n-- bound for Yogyakarta from Jakarta -- onto the track where the
\nJakarta to Surabaya-bound Gaya Baru Malam was stopped at the
\nKetanggungan station in Brebes.<\/p>\n
Tegal Police chief Sr. Comr. Rismawan told The Jakarta Post
\nseparately on Wednesday that Muhamad was accused of violating
\nArticle 359 of the Indonesian Criminal Code which carried a
\nmaximum five year jail term for negligence.<\/p>\n
Erwin also added that 20 other railway employees were being
\nquestioned as investigations into the tragic head-on collision
\ncontinued.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day the head of state-owned railway company PT
\nKAI in Cirebon, Abdul Madjid, said an internal investigation was
\nalso underway. \"We may need three days to question them as most
\nof them are still in very serious shock.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Erwin, and PT KAI officials confirmed on Wednesday
\nthat the driver of the Gaya BAru Malam train, Sutrisno, was still
\nalive. He had reportedly been killed in the accident.<\/p>\n
Sutrisno was quoted by his boss Djusman Manurung, the head of
\nPT KAI in Purwokerto, as saying that he had been terribly shocked
\nand had fled the accident scene to report the smash directly to
\nDjusman in Purwokerto.<\/p>\n
Sutrisno, one of the key witnesses in the accident, arrived at
\nthe Purwokerto railway station at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday. He was
\ntaken to Cirebon early Wednesday before police brought him to
\nSemarang, Erwin confirmed.<\/p>\n
\"We will use psychologists to question all the witnesses,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Abdul Madjid told reporters on Wednesday morning that the
\nnumber of fatalities was 30, not 54 as he had announced on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
\"We apologize for the inaccurate data. Engineer (driver)
\nSutrisno was also recorded dead yesterday. There was chaos
\nyesterday. Records on the number of deaths were made in a very
\nrushed situation and made by several persons at several places.
\nNow we are handling the records here. The number of deaths is
\n30,\" he reiterated.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Central Java chapter of the National Awakening
\nParty (PKB) urged Minister of Transportations Agum Gumelar,
\nMinister for State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi and the
\nmanagement of PT KAI step down following the series of train
\naccidents this year.<\/p>\n
With 30 people killed in the Brebes' train crash, the total
\nnumber of fatalities in 13 train accidents so far this year
\nstands at 145.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile PKB Central Java chapter chairman HM Muzammil told
\nThe Jakarta Post that it would facilitate class action against
\nthe government in response to the fatal train accidents.<\/p>\n
\"The Central Java chapter of PKB is ready to help people
\nlaunch their class action over the repeated fatal accidents. We
\nare ready to accommodate public complaints about train
\naccidents,\" he said from Semarang on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"Our party has instructed its legal aid and human rights aid
\nbody to thoroughly study the case, and in the near future the
\nparty will appoint an independent lawyer to help the relatives of
\nthe victims or those affected by the train accidents,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/driver-named-suspect-in-brebes-train-crash-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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