Four killed and 37 injured in head-on train crash

TANGERANG, West Java (JP): A speeding train on the Jakarta- Merak line collided head-on with another train on Monday morning, killing at least four passengers and injuring 37 others.

The collision of the two diesel-powered trains, Langsam and Patas Merak, occurred at 9:15 a.m. on a single line track at the Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) housing complex, between Sudimara and Serpong stations.

One of the fatalities, identified as becak (pedicab) driver Sumarno, 35, was decapitated when he was caught between the fractured parts of the trains.

Officials from state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) said the accident was still under police investigation.

But other officials, including Director General of Land Transportation Santo Budiono and spokesman for KAI's greater Jakarta area Zainal Abidin, concluded that the collision between the two trains was mainly caused by mechanical failure.

"The train signals used by dispatchers to inform drivers to stop were damaged and not working.

"The central traffic control (CTC) system at the railway firm's office in Manggarai, South Jakarta, which usually takes over the work automatically was also broken," Santo told reporters at the accident site.

Separately, head of PT KAI's intercity trains Whosep Muktamar said the CTC system was under repair after being struck by lightning on Friday.

The damaged master communication control device also caused the failure of all communication devices at all stations and train telephones in Jakarta," said Whosep.

"After it was struck by the lightning, all computer monitor displays at railway stations also were down. So, the stationmasters here were not able to contact passing train drivers," he explained.

He said that since Friday night's damage, train drivers and stationmasters had been using walkie-talkies for train operations.

It is hoped that the repair of the equipment will be completed on Wednesday.

The failure of the CTC system at Manggarai was also blamed as the main cause of an accident last Friday between a Jabotabek commuter train and a Pakuan Express train in which at least 24 people were injured.

According to Zainal, who rushed to the Serpong site on Monday, the train dispatcher at Serpong Station, Dedy Supriadi, initially sent a signal of confirmation to the Langsam train to proceed.

"Since there was no reply from Serpong, the dispatcher permitted the Patas Merak train to continue for Merak ... and the accident happened," he said.

The dead and wounded victims were admitted to three hospitals: the nearby BSD Clinic, Asshobirin Hospital and Tangerang General Hospital.

Medical staff at Asshobirin Hospital identified the dead victims as Sumarno, Mohamad Sobari, Maman and 19-year-old student Marsan Hengki.

Shortly after the accident was reported by radio and television stations, hundreds of people flocked to the two hospitals looking for their relatives.

Passenger Sofyan, 14, who suffered a bone fracture to one of his hands and back wounds, recalled that a few seconds before the crash, he saw passengers sitting on the roof of the train hastily jump to the ground.

"I thought at first there was a brawl ahead of us because that used to happen here. But suddenly I heard a big bang ... and I was thrown to the door were I lay beneath three unconscious passengers," Sofyan said.

Another passenger of the train heading from Merak, Jackson, said he saw no officers at Serpong Station "give any kind of usual signs" that another train was heading toward them.

"Our train stopped at Serpong Station. We saw the dispatcher talking with some of the station officers, who said that our train could just go ahead," Jackson told reporters.

"When the train was moving at full speed, some of us saw a station officer running toward our train with a stop sign, screaming something. But the train was already moving, and we didn't understand what he was screaming about."

Separately, passengers on the other train recalled that their train had signaled with its lights for the other train to stop.

"When we saw the (Merak-Jakarta) train coming, we just jumped off the train ... all of us. Our train put its brakes on and stopped. The train from Merak just kept coming and smashed into us," a passenger, who requested anonymity said.

Both trains had at least seven cars each. While the train from Jakarta was almost empty, the Merak train was so full that several passengers were standing in its doors.

It took the police some 20 minutes to pry apart metal which was trapping the bloodied bodies of three passengers from both sides. (41/ylt/25/edt/asa)