Digital Minister urges public to be wise in sharing information about train accident

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid has urged Indonesians to be prudent in disseminating information about the accident involving a long-distance train and an Electric Rail Train (KRL) in East Bekasi. She reminded the public that if they wish to share information, they should ensure its accuracy and avoid spreading inaccurate details. “We strongly urge that no one exploits such a tragic incident, especially to spread hoaxes or false news,” Meutya said at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs office in Jakarta on Tuesday. For victims and their families, viewing such content could potentially trigger trauma, so it is advisable for the public to focus on supporting the handling of this incident to resolve it more quickly. “Therefore, we strongly urge that the dissemination of unnecessary footage from train accident events be avoided irresponsibly, as we must respect the feelings of the victims and their families,” Meutya stated. She believes that Indonesian netizens currently possess good sensitivity, including in the digital space, so this call for prudent information sharing is expected to be heeded. “We strongly urge that no special intervention from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs is needed. This is all based on humanitarian grounds, to avoid excessive sharing, to avoid sharing misinformation, and to avoid actions that could have a negative impact on victims or their families,” Meutya concluded her statement. The train accident in East Bekasi occurred on Monday night (27/4), involving a collision between a long-distance train and an electric rail train at East Bekasi Station. Based on data updates on Tuesday (28/4) until 13:26 WIB, 15 people have died and 88 others were injured.