Rescuers trying to reach 3 people trapped in damaged train car after crash in Indonesia

BEKASI, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers were working to reach three people still trapped Tuesday in a badly damaged commuter train car after a crash outside Indonesia’s capital that killed at least seven people.

A long-distance train crashed into the rear car of a stopped commuter train Monday at Bekasi Timur Station outside Jakarta. The car was one designated for women only, a common accommodation to stop harassment.

A total of 81 injured people were taken to hospitals for treatment, said Bobby Rasyidin, CEO of state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia. “The evacuations are taking a long time … and we’re doing it very carefully,” Rasyidin told reporters of the rescue efforts.

All 240 passengers on the Argo Bromo Anggrek long-distance train were safe, officials said.

Police were investigating the cause of the accident, Jakarta Police Chief Asep Edi Suheri told reporters at the scene.

Rasyidin said another commuter train struck a stalled taxi on a crossing near the station and a rail system disruption was suspected.

“As for the chronology of events, we are leaving it to the National Transportation Safety Committee to investigate the cause of tonight’s train accident in greater detail,” Rasyidin said.

Accidents are common on Indonesia’s aging railroad network. In January 2024, two trains collided in West Java province, killing at least four people.