10 killed in train accidents per month

10 killed in train accidents per month

JAKARTA (JP): At least 10 people are killed in train accidents
in the capital every month, an official said over the weekend.

The victims are mostly pedestrians and motorists hit crossing
the tracks and passengers who fall from speeding trains, the head
of state railroad company Perumka for Operation Zone I (Jakarta),
Eddy Sasongko, said.

"There's at least one person killed every three days on
railroads here. They are crushed by the passing trains, fall from
the trains or commit suicide," Eddy said after witnessing the
closure of several illegal railroad crossings in Klender, East
Jakarta.

He also complained about the lack of awareness of many
Jakartans residing near railroad tracks about their own safety.

They often open new crossings at their own initiative every 50
meters just to make a short cut, he said.

"They're lazy to walk just a short distance. As a result,
their illegal self-made crossings have taken a great number of
lives," Eddy said.

Operation Zone I is home to 152 illegal railway crossings, 154
official ones with attendants and 353 official crossings without
attendants, Antara reported.

The latest crossing accident in the city was on July 20 when
eight people died when a speeding train hit a public minivan in
the Bintaro Permai area of South Jakarta. (bsr)