13 people killed in train-truck collision

PEKALONGAN, Central Java (JP): At least 13 people were killed and eight others injured after a train, the Empu Jaya, traveling between Purwokerto (Central Java) and Jakarta hit an intercity bus at a railway crossing close to the Kemisik River in the village of Pakulaut, Magersari district, Tegal regency, some 165 kilometers west of the Central Java capital of Semarang in the early hours of Wednesday.

Nurnan, 32, a local resident who witnessed the accident said that the Sinar Jaya bus plying the Jakarta-Purwokerto route was at the crossing, which was not closed, when the train was speeding through the crossing.

"I don't have any idea why the crossing gate was not closed. The bus was thrown about 50 meters and I saw many passengers flying out of the bus," he said.

The bus hit a concrete pole near the Kemisik bridge, while the train was only able to come to a stop at Prupuk station, some 1.5 kilometers from the accident site.

Police said that the bus was carrying 40 passengers; one of the victims was Darsono, 40, the bus driver.

Some other witnesses said that they had shouted to the railway crossing attendants to alert them of the approaching train.

"We shouted out loud to the railway cross attendants as we saw a train coming," said Yito, a driver of a motorcycle taxi (ojek), who was some meters away from the railway track when the accident took place.

He believed that Slamet Sahroni, the railway crossing attendant was asleep at the time.

Local police surmised that the accident was a result of negligence on the part of the railway crossing attendant.

The injured passengers along with the deceased were rushed to Dr. Soesilo general hospital in Slawi.

Slamet, the crossing attendant, the train driver, Parwoto, 37, and some bus passengers who were uninjured were questioned by local police over the accident.

According to the police the deceased were identified as Nirsem, 44, a Jakarta resident, Sutarjo, 48, a Banyumas resident, Kasiyanti, 30, from Kebumen, Central Java, Jono, 36, from Kebumen and Karsun Mahmudi, 30, also from Kebumen.

"Police are having difficulty identifying the dead," Slawi Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Lutfi Lubihanto said.

The accident caused a five-hour delay for all trains using the same line. (45/har/sur)