Two trains collided outside the Indonesian capital Jakarta late on Monday, the state-owned KAI rail company said, with “victims at the scene” and evacuation efforts underway.
The collision occurred near the Bekasi Timur Station, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from Jakarta, news agency AFP reported, citing several local media reports.
“At present, all efforts are focused on evacuating passengers and onboard staff, as well as handling the victims at the scene,” KAI spokeswoman Anne Purba said in a statement.
According to a report by Antara, several passengers were injured in an accident involving a CommuterLine train and a long-distance diesel train (KRD) at the Bekasi Timur Station.
The report added that the Commuter Line train was stopped on track 1, heading east toward Cikarang. Moments later, a long-distance train travelling from the west entered the same track and collided with the Commuter Line head-on.
Commuter lines in Indonesia are electrified rapid-transit systems for city workers used for daily commuting within metropolitan areas. Long-distance trains are locomotive-hauled services connecting major cities across the island of Java.
“The CommuterLine was destroyed at the rear. Officers evacuated us immediately,” local media quoted a passenger at the scene as saying.