14 Dead, Dozens Injured in Indonesian Commuter Train Crash

A deadly pileup triggered by a stranded electric taxi left 14 people dead and dozens injured after an intercity express train plowed into a stationary commuter line near Indonesia's capital.

INSTAGRAM/kantorsar_jakarta

BEKASI — Rescuers pulled three surviving passengers from the crushed wreckage of a commuter carriage early Tuesday morning, as authorities raced to clear the paralyzed transit corridor, officials said on Tuesday (April 28, 2026).

The crash occurred around 9 p.m. Monday at Bekasi Timur station. The Argo Bromo Anggrek express train, operating the Jakarta-Surabaya route, slammed into the back of a halted Tokyo Metro 5568A commuter train. The sheer force of the collision immediately crushed the rear carriages of the local train.

All 14 fatalities and 84 reported injuries were passengers aboard the commuter line. First responders rushed the wounded to eight different hospitals across the Bekasi and Cibitung areas. The 240 passengers traveling on the intercity express train survived the impact without injury and were safely evacuated.

State railway operator PT KAI traced the fatal disaster back to an earlier incident at the nearby Jalan Ampera level crossing. A separate commuter train had struck a Green SM Indonesia electric taxi around 8:40 p.m.

KAI Chief Executive Bobby Rasyidin noted that the initial crossing accident likely compromised the signaling network around the Bekasi Timur switching yard. This system disruption forced the targeted commuter train to hold its position at the station, leaving it vulnerable on the active track.

Green SM Indonesia confirmed via social media that one of its vehicles was involved in the initial crossing incident. The company stated it is actively coordinating with authorities and fully supports the ongoing investigation.

Search operations stretched deep into Tuesday as emergency crews used heavy equipment to cut through mangled metal. Rescue logs detailed a steady stream of extractions throughout the early hours, with five passengers pulled alive from the wreckage between 4 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.

Jakarta Search and Rescue Agency head Desiana Kartika Bahari stressed the urgency of the ongoing mission.

"Our priority is to find and evacuate all victims as quickly as possible," Desiana said.

The disaster severed the Bekasi-Cibitung corridor, one of the busiest rail arteries connecting Jakarta to its sprawling eastern suburbs. The disruption crippled Tuesday morning commutes and broader intercity travel. PT KAI canceled 19 trips departing from or arriving at the capital's Gambir and Pasar Senen stations. Several other major routes faced delays exceeding an hour as trains queued for clearance.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi visited the wreckage site early Tuesday, confirming the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) had taken control of the inquiry.

"We are giving the KNKT the opportunity to investigate and objectively determine the cause of the accident," Dudy told reporters.

Investigators face mounting questions over how the railway's signaling and safety mechanisms failed to stop a high-speed express train from entering an occupied track sector.