Train accidents kill 10 soccer fans<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Nine PSIS Semarang fans died after being crushed
\nby a train and another was electrocuted on a train roof in
\naccidents in South and East Jakarta on Thursday, only hours
\nbefore their team took the field, witnesses and hospitals
\nreported.<\/p>\n
Five other soccer fans -- commonly known as bonek (literally
\n\"penniless but reckless\") -- were seriously injured in the South
\nJakarta accident.<\/p>\n
The number of fatalities was based on observations at Cipto
\nMangunkusumo General Hospital, where the bodies were later kept,
\nconfirmation from sources at three hospitals where the people
\nwere initially admitted, other fans and eyewitnesses.<\/p>\n
Police put the toll from the accidents at six dead and 10
\ninjured.<\/p>\n
Details on how the accidents occurred differed slightly
\nbetween sources' reports to The Jakarta Post and the report from
\nthe Jakarta Police.<\/p>\n
Most of the dead, aged between 15 and 20 years, suffered
\nsevere head injuries and severed limbs.<\/p>\n
The bodies were transported by ambulance back to Semarang on
\nThursday night. Semarang Mayor Soetrisno Soeharto, also here to
\nsupport the Central Java capital's soccer team in the Indonesian
\nSoccer League playoffs, paid for the transportation.<\/p>\n
Soetrisno earlier instructed members of his staff during a
\nmeeting at Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta that the corpses
\nshould lie at the Semarang mayoralty office before they were
\nhanded over to their families.<\/p>\n
\"All bills for the hospital, transportation and burial of the
\ndead victims will be under the account of the Semarang
\nauthority,\" Soetrisno told the Post.<\/p>\n
He insisted that all Semarang supporters traveled to Jakarta
\nto see the semifinal between PSIS and Persija Jakarta \"on their
\nown initiative\". The Semarang team won.<\/p>\n
According to the hospital sources, witnesses and other fans,
\nthe lone man killed in the East Jakarta accident is believed to
\nhave been electrocuted before he fell off the train and was
\ncrushed.<\/p>\n
Eko Supriyatin, 15, a resident of downtown Semarang, was
\nsitting on the train roof and reportedly came in contact with a
\nhigh voltage cable as it began to rain during the train's
\napproach to Jatinegara Railway Station at 2:30 a.m.<\/p>\n
\"I warned him not to sit on top of the train as it's too
\nrisky,\" said Aan Liono, a friend of Eko.<\/p>\n
He said Eko climbed onto the roof because of the heat in the
\ncrowded train.<\/p>\n
His injuries included a shattered skull, severed right arm and
\nleft leg and a deep wound to his stomach.<\/p>\n
About four hours later, the nine other fatalities occurred
\nwhen a group of fans was hit by a speeding Jakarta-Bogor train on
\nthe railway track near the Lenteng Agung Railway Station in South
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Sentot, a coordinator for the Semarang bonek, said the men
\nwere hit as they tried to stop a train heading in the opposite
\ndirection to downtown Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We intended to get onto the train (to Jakarta) but were not
\naware of the Jakarta-Bogor express train speeding behind us,\"
\nSentot said.<\/p>\n
He said he was part of about 1,000 supporters who arrived at
\nSenen Railway Station in Central Jakarta at 4 a.m. He claimed
\nthey were later forcibly picked up by Mobile Brigade police near
\nthe Atrium Senen flyover in 16 trucks, including seven garbage
\ntrucks.<\/p>\n
\"At first we trusted them to drive us to the Senayan stadium,
\nbut some of us later realized that they were driving us in the
\ndirection of Bogor, which enraged the supporters,\" Sentot said.<\/p>\n
In front of Srengseng Sawah Junior High School on Jl. Lenteng
\nAgung Timor, some of the fans jumped off the vehicles and blocked
\ntheir way.<\/p>\n
They shattered windows of the vehicles.<\/p>\n
\"We were so upset with the police because they attempted to
\ndupe us,\" Sentot said.<\/p>\n
Most of the police officers fled their vehicles.<\/p>\n
The fans were searching for a nearby railway station to hitch
\na free ride back to Senen when the accident occurred.<\/p>\n
Blood and pieces of flesh were spattered on the railway track
\nuntil Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Makeshift grave<\/p>\n
Fans buried a body part of one of their deceased friends by
\nthe side of the track. They laid a small box of matches,
\ninscribed \"PSIS Semarang\", on top of the makeshift grave.<\/p>\n
Many upset fans decided to return home and not watch the
\nafternoon game.<\/p>\n
\"My friend is already dead. It's useless to see the match
\nanymore,\" fan Amin said.<\/p>\n
Three of the dead and five injured were taken to nearby Pasar
\nRebo Hospital, and the others admitted to Fatmawati and Cipto.<\/p>\n
The dead men were identified as Anang Mantovani, Wahyudi,
\nSukisno, Mujahid, Sutrisno, Sutikno and Supriyanto. Two bodies
\nhave yet to be identified.<\/p>\n
Based on their identity cards, the victims were from several
\nparts of Semarang, such as Banget Ayu, Lamper Tengah, Manyaran,
\nand Mangkang Wetan.<\/p>\n
Injured were Adi Sudiro, Catur, Rofik, Santoso Haryadi and
\nJimmy R.W.<\/p>\n
City Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman denied there
\nwas any plan to deceive the supporters. He said officers tried to
\nprevent a clash between PSIS supporters and supporters from
\nanother semifinalist, Persebaya Surabaya.<\/p>\n
\"We only wanted to secure them, give them food and a place to
\nrest so they could watch their favorite team play later,\"
\nNoegroho said.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said the fans
\nwere crushed by a Jakarta-Depok train after trying to stop the
\nspeeding train.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso expressed concern over the accidents.<\/p>\n
\"I am deeply disappointed. Our life is already difficult,
\nplease don't make it worse,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The governor warned soccer fans from other provinces to keep
\nout of trouble.<\/p>\n
\"Otherwise, just don't come here.\"<\/p>\n
PSIS will meet Persebaya in the final on Sunday. (01\/emf\/ind)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/train-accidents-kill-10-soccer-fans-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }