Train accidents kill 10 soccer fans
JAKARTA (JP): Nine PSIS Semarang fans died after being crushed by a train and another was electrocuted on a train roof in accidents in South and East Jakarta on Thursday, only hours before their team took the field, witnesses and hospitals reported.
Five other soccer fans -- commonly known as bonek (literally "penniless but reckless") -- were seriously injured in the South Jakarta accident.
The number of fatalities was based on observations at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, where the bodies were later kept, confirmation from sources at three hospitals where the people were initially admitted, other fans and eyewitnesses.
Police put the toll from the accidents at six dead and 10 injured.
Details on how the accidents occurred differed slightly between sources' reports to The Jakarta Post and the report from the Jakarta Police.
Most of the dead, aged between 15 and 20 years, suffered severe head injuries and severed limbs.
The bodies were transported by ambulance back to Semarang on Thursday night. Semarang Mayor Soetrisno Soeharto, also here to support the Central Java capital's soccer team in the Indonesian Soccer League playoffs, paid for the transportation.
Soetrisno earlier instructed members of his staff during a meeting at Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta that the corpses should lie at the Semarang mayoralty office before they were handed over to their families.
"All bills for the hospital, transportation and burial of the dead victims will be under the account of the Semarang authority," Soetrisno told the Post.
He insisted that all Semarang supporters traveled to Jakarta to see the semifinal between PSIS and Persija Jakarta "on their own initiative". The Semarang team won.
According to the hospital sources, witnesses and other fans, the lone man killed in the East Jakarta accident is believed to have been electrocuted before he fell off the train and was crushed.
Eko Supriyatin, 15, a resident of downtown Semarang, was sitting on the train roof and reportedly came in contact with a high voltage cable as it began to rain during the train's approach to Jatinegara Railway Station at 2:30 a.m.
"I warned him not to sit on top of the train as it's too risky," said Aan Liono, a friend of Eko.
He said Eko climbed onto the roof because of the heat in the crowded train.
His injuries included a shattered skull, severed right arm and left leg and a deep wound to his stomach.
About four hours later, the nine other fatalities occurred when a group of fans was hit by a speeding Jakarta-Bogor train on the railway track near the Lenteng Agung Railway Station in South Jakarta.
Sentot, a coordinator for the Semarang bonek, said the men were hit as they tried to stop a train heading in the opposite direction to downtown Jakarta.
"We intended to get onto the train (to Jakarta) but were not aware of the Jakarta-Bogor express train speeding behind us," Sentot said.
He said he was part of about 1,000 supporters who arrived at Senen Railway Station in Central Jakarta at 4 a.m. He claimed they were later forcibly picked up by Mobile Brigade police near the Atrium Senen flyover in 16 trucks, including seven garbage trucks.
"At first we trusted them to drive us to the Senayan stadium, but some of us later realized that they were driving us in the direction of Bogor, which enraged the supporters," Sentot said.
In front of Srengseng Sawah Junior High School on Jl. Lenteng Agung Timor, some of the fans jumped off the vehicles and blocked their way.
They shattered windows of the vehicles.
"We were so upset with the police because they attempted to dupe us," Sentot said.
Most of the police officers fled their vehicles.
The fans were searching for a nearby railway station to hitch a free ride back to Senen when the accident occurred.
Blood and pieces of flesh were spattered on the railway track until Thursday afternoon.
Makeshift grave
Fans buried a body part of one of their deceased friends by the side of the track. They laid a small box of matches, inscribed "PSIS Semarang", on top of the makeshift grave.
Many upset fans decided to return home and not watch the afternoon game.
"My friend is already dead. It's useless to see the match anymore," fan Amin said.
Three of the dead and five injured were taken to nearby Pasar Rebo Hospital, and the others admitted to Fatmawati and Cipto.
The dead men were identified as Anang Mantovani, Wahyudi, Sukisno, Mujahid, Sutrisno, Sutikno and Supriyanto. Two bodies have yet to be identified.
Based on their identity cards, the victims were from several parts of Semarang, such as Banget Ayu, Lamper Tengah, Manyaran, and Mangkang Wetan.
Injured were Adi Sudiro, Catur, Rofik, Santoso Haryadi and Jimmy R.W.
City Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman denied there was any plan to deceive the supporters. He said officers tried to prevent a clash between PSIS supporters and supporters from another semifinalist, Persebaya Surabaya.
"We only wanted to secure them, give them food and a place to rest so they could watch their favorite team play later," Noegroho said.
Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said the fans were crushed by a Jakarta-Depok train after trying to stop the speeding train.
Governor Sutiyoso expressed concern over the accidents.
"I am deeply disappointed. Our life is already difficult, please don't make it worse," he said.
The governor warned soccer fans from other provinces to keep out of trouble.
"Otherwise, just don't come here."
PSIS will meet Persebaya in the final on Sunday. (01/emf/ind)