Bus and train crash in Indonesia kills 18
AP
December 6, 2015, 10:53 pm
A commuter train has slammed into a passenger minibus at a railway crossing in Indonesia's capital, killing at least 18 people and seriously injuring six others.
The bus driver allegedly ignored the warning signals when he crossed the tracks and was rammed by the train in western Jakarta, said Wirdhanto, the police chief in the neighbourhood of Tambora. Like many Indonesians, Wirdhanto uses only one name.
All of those who were killed were travelling in the minibus. No one aboard the train was injured.
The shattered bus was seen lying on the tracks after it was dragged by the train up to a nearby platform, about 300 metres from the collision site.
Thirteen minibus passengers died instantly, while another died on the way to a hospital, Wirdhanto said.
The minibus driver and his assistant were among four people who died at three Jakarta hospitals, while six others were hospitalised with serious injuries, said Musyafak, who heads Jakarta police's medical and health division.
He said that no one travelling in the train's eight cars was hurt, and that all rail signals were working at the time of the crash.
The train was headed to Jakarta's neighbouring town of Bogor with about 400 passengers.
Road, train, boat and air accidents are common in Indonesia, due largely to poor safety standards.
