At Least Seven Killed in Train Collision Outside Jakarta

Rescuers are racing to try and free people trapped inside a train involved in a fatal collision outside the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Monday. At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in the accident which took place when a stationary passenger train was hit from behind by a long-distance commuter train running on the same track.

Local media ran footage of passengers on medical trolleys near Bekasi Timur Station, with other images showing rescuers trying to free people from the train wreckage. There are still victims who are alive "but they're pinned by train material", Mohammad Syafii, who leads Indonesia's search and rescue agency, told reporters early on Tuesday. "There are some victims who are alive to this minute and we're hoping to extricate them," he said. "We need to involve personnel with certain skills to perform a measured extrication."

Bobby Rasyidin, the president director of state-owned railway operator KAI, said on Tuesday that 81 injured are being treated for their injuries in nearby hospitals. Rasyidin added that the accident happened when the commuter train hit a taxi, which was lying across the middle of the rail crossing, preventing the train from moving forward.

Some people screamed "hysterically" as the trains collided, one passenger told the BBC's Indonesia service. Other eyewitnesses said they saw "many victims" injured in the crash. Jakarta Police Chief Insp Gen Asep Edi Suheri said six or seven people remained trapped inside the carriages.

Indonesia's public transport network in general has a high accident rate, due in part to ageing infrastructure and poor maintenance.