Four injured in Klender train crash
Four injured in Klender train crash
JAKARTA (JP): Four people were injured in a train crash at
Klender, East Jakarta, Monday night, railway officials said
yesterday.
The crash at about 9:30 p.m. involved an Argo Lawu executive
train plying Jakarta-Surakarta route and a freight train heading
for Surabaya.
The Argo Lawu, which was waiting at a red light, was struck
from behind by the freight train. The accident worsened already
bad traffic congestion in the area where countless vehicles were
queuing for fuel.
All four victims were members of the freight train crew. Two
were hospitalized after sustaining severe head and body injuries
while the other two suffered shock and minor injuries from
falling packages.
"The Argo Lawu was waiting for a green light at Pondok Kopi
railway station when the packed freight train heading for
Surabaya hit it at a speed of about 40 kilometers per hour,"
Hari, a railway official at Jatinegara station, said.
An eyewitness, Wisnu, said that the freight train driver
slammed on the brakes some distance from the Argo Lawu but could
not stop in time.
The last car of Argo Lawu was twisted with two of its wheels
off the tracks.
Argo Lawu passengers continued their journey after a one-hour
delay to remove the damaged car.
The incident delayed the departure of two other trains from
Jatinegara and Cipinang stations: the Senja Ekonomi to Yogyakarta
and the Citra Jaya to Cilacap.
Meanwhile, a blackout wrought havoc to railway traffic in
Bekasi on Monday night and Tuesday morning as electric trains --
which are the backbone of services for local commuters -- were
left virtually useless.
Thousands of passengers scrambled for other means of transport
to get to Jakarta in the morning peak hours. Some caught train
carrying cattle to get their offices in Jakarta on time, Antara
reported.
Commuters said that the rearrangement of train schedules by
the state railway company, Perumka, had added to the chaotic
railway traffic in Bekasi.
"This (schedule rearrangement) explains why trains are often
late," said a commuter.
On Monday, for example, a train from Jakarta was about half an
hour late.
Commuters have urged the company to announce the new schedule
and asked for more trains to Jakarta because the existing ones
are always overcrowded during peak hours.
"We just want a clear explanation about the schedule
rearrangement," a resident was quoted by Antara as saying. (edt)