Three die in train collision

Three die in train collision

TEGAL, Central Java: At least three people died and several
houses were burned down by a fire when a train loaded with fuel
oil crashed into a steamroller crossing the railroad tracks near
Kebasen village, on the outskirts of Tegal, yesterday.

The bodies of the three victims, the train's driver and
assistant, and the steamroller's operator, have yet to be found,
an employee of the state-owned railway company PT Perumka said.

An eyewitness said two of the train's six cars blew up and
burst into flames when the train hit the steamroller.

Fire quickly spread to nearby buildings, a shop and several
houses, witnesses said.

The authorities mobilized fire trucks from the districts of
Tegal, Pekalongan and Brebes but strong winds initially made it
difficult for the fire to be extinguished, the Perumka employee
said. (45)