Train crash 'due to human error'
Train crash 'due to human error'
Agus Maryono and Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Brebes/Cirebon
Investigators have confirmed their initial assumptions that the train crash that killed at least 30 people in Brebes, Central Java, on Dec. 25, was caused by human error.
The team of experts from the National Police forensic laboratory and the Central Java Police claimed they had so much evidence they were already able to determine the cause of the accident, although their investigation was only 75 percent complete.
They have teamed up with experts from other related fields such as railways, transportation, physics and psychology.
The findings lend credence to the police's earlier decision to name the Empu Jaya driver, Muhammad To'at, 50, as the prime suspect, as he allegedly ignored traffic signals that led to the collision.
The crash, involving the Empu Jaya and the parked Gaya Baru Malam economy trains, occurred at Ketanggungan Barat train station.
The findings also shot down To'at's version, given to visiting legislators last week, that the crash occurred because the train's brakes did not work properly.
Brebes Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Heru Setyawan said that the Empu Jaya switched tracks 17 seconds too early.
"The Empu Jaya rumbled onto Track III where the Gaya Baru Malam was waiting, such that a collision was unavoidable," Heru said.
Also, when it entered the station, the Empu Jaya was traveling at 85 kilometers per hour (kph), way in excess of the maximum 30 kph permissible, according to investigators.
The investigators had evidence that To'at had applied the brakes when the Empu Jaya was only 4.9 meters away from the points. This meant that the speeding Empu Jaya was only 135 meters away from the Gaya Baru Malam, far too close for any meaningful avoiding action.
The investigators rejected an earlier theory on possible sabotage that was indicated by the presence of a stone in the points control system.
They said that the Australian-made Westinghouse control system was provided with an alarm that would light up if any object were found underneath.
"So the conclusion seems to be that the Empu Jaya driver ignored a red light when entering Ketanggungan Barat station," Heru said.
The investigators rejected all of To'at's key versions of the event. For example, all the brakes were in perfect condition.
Aware of suspicions that the police might twist the facts to match their initial presumption on the cause of the mishap, Heru challenged that To'at be accompanied by a psychologist during his questioning, to be held as soon as he is discharged from the hospital.
Meanwhile, in the West Java town of Cirebon, hundreds of people protested on Monday in front of Kejaksaan railway station, demanding that Minister of Transportation Agum Gumelar and State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi step down over the tragic accident.
The protesters, claiming to be from the Common People Concerned with Train Affairs (WCKPA) also suggested that railway company PT KAI's head office and Cirebon office introduce internal reform to become more professional.
Holding up posters, the protesters also prayed for the victims of the Brebes crash.
One of the posters read: "Ministers, When Are You Going to Quit?"
The coordinator of the demonstration, Imam Musthofa, told The Jakarta Post that he intended to draw people's attention to such social problems, including the latest series of train accidents.
The head of Kejaksaan railway station, Bidjak Filsadjati, met the protesters and promised to convey their demands to PT KAI management.
The protesters, who started their demonstration at about 7 p.m., dispersed at 10 p.m. after failing to meet with the head of PT KAI's Cirebon office.