Locals hold prayer for Paledang train victims<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): About 300 local Muslim residents from Paledang,
\nCentral Bogor, held a special prayer on Tuesday evening for the
\n12 passengers who died after they fell off the roof of a train
\nlast week.<\/p>\n
\"With this prayer we wish the spirits of the dead to reside
\npeacefully in the hands of God,\" Rojak, a local Muslim cleric,
\nsaid during the prayer.<\/p>\n
A Tahlilan (special prayer for the dead) is held several days
\nafter the death of someone in the community. During the prayer,
\nthe assembly repeatedly recites the confession of faith: \"there's
\nno God but Allah\".<\/p>\n
The train accident, which injured 10 others, took place after
\na diesel-powered train, plying the Bogor-Sukabumi route, passed
\nunder a bridge, knocking off all the passengers sitting on the
\nroof.<\/p>\n
During a prayer held after Maghrib (dusk prayer), Rojak also
\nasked the assembly not to circulate rumors that strange noises
\nwere being heard from the accident site.<\/p>\n
\"We ought to pray for the victims to rest in peace,\" he told
\nthem.<\/p>\n
Dirgahayu Swana, who organized the prayer, said the event was
\npart of the locals' way to express their sympathy to the victims
\nand their families.<\/p>\n
\"This gathering was initiated by youths from the nearby areas
\nof Sukalaya, Bojong Neros and Nurkas,\" Dirgahayu said.<\/p>\n
Apart from holding the special prayer, locals also urged
\nstate-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) to
\ncheck the height allowance between the train and the bridge.<\/p>\n
According to measurements taken by locals, the height
\nallowance was under the 60 centimeters PT KAI claimed to exist.<\/p>\n
\"They (the company) claim the height allowance is about 60
\ncentimeters, while we found that it is only about 30
\ncentimeters,\" Dirgahayu said.<\/p>\n
\"Parts of the bridge have subsided over the years due to
\nvehicles crossing it every day,\" Dirga said, adding that the
\nbridge was built during the Dutch colonial era and had not been
\nrepaired since then.<\/p>\n
Residents from Paledang also demanded that PT KAI remove a
\nwater tower near the bridge as it was no longer used, he said.<\/p>\n
\"It's better to remove the tower than to have it as a hazard,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Another resident, Ato Santoso, shared Dirga's view, saying
\nthat similar fatal accidents had often taken place there over the
\npast couple years.<\/p>\n
\"Every holiday season, there are always three or four
\nfatalities because of that bridge. Usually, passengers are
\nknocked off a speeding train while they sit on its roof,\" Ato
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
However, Ato said the most casualties resulted from last
\nWednesday's train crash.<\/p>\n
Local residents, he said, frequently warn passengers of the
\napproaching bridge.<\/p>\n
\"People often scream at the passengers to get off the roof and
\nwatch out for the bridge ahead, but they ignore it,\" Ato said,
\nadding that most of the victims were teenagers from Jakarta who
\ndid not know there was a bridge, tunnel or water tower along the
\nroute.<\/p>\n
Train officials have repeatedly warned people not to ride on
\ntop of the train or sit near the doors, but many do not heed the
\nwarnings.<\/p>\n
Bogor Police have questioned three officials at Bogor Railway
\nStation. The incident, however, was ruled as an accident and no
\ncharges will be laid. (21\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/locals-hold-prayer-for-paledang-train-victims-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}