Four killed as commuter and long-distance trains collide near Jakarta

A commuter rail collision on the outskirts of Jakarta killed at least four people and sent 38 others to nearby hospitals, turning East Bekasi Station into a night-long rescue scene and reigniting scrutiny of Indonesia’s rail safety system.

The crash happened at East Bekasi Station, also known as Bekasi Timur, in Bekasi, about 25 kilometers from Jakarta. PT Kereta Api Indonesia said the accident involved a commuter train and a long-distance diesel train, and rescuers rushed to cut through damaged carriages as police, ambulances and railway crews converged on the station.

Initial findings pointed to a breakdown in track movement. ANTARA reported that the commuter train was stopped on track 1 heading east toward Cikarang when the long-distance train entered the same track and struck it from behind. Jakarta police chief Asep Edi Suheri said the impact hit the last, women-only carriage of the commuter train. He said all of the victims were on the commuter train, while passengers on the long-distance train were evacuated safely.

Karina Amanda, a spokesperson for the commuter line operator, said responders were focused on evacuating everyone on board. Deputy parliamentary speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said rescuers were cutting through wreckage to free at least six or seven people still trapped inside. Basarnas deployed its elite BSG rescue team to the station, and witnesses described at least 20 ambulances waiting as crews worked with angle grinders to reach passengers pinned in the wreckage.

A surviving passenger, Munir, told ANTARA the collision happened at about 20:53 WIB on Monday, April 27, 2026, and said the rear of the commuter train was crushed. Another eyewitness said a taxi had apparently clipped the commuter train at a level crossing before it stopped on the track and was hit, adding another unresolved layer to the investigation. Asep Edi Suheri said the cause was not immediately clear and that police were still investigating.

KAI vice president of corporate communications Anne Purba later confirmed four deaths among KRL passengers and said the company’s immediate focus was evacuation and victim care. The rail operator also provided a customer information line for families seeking updates, as hospitals received the injured and one local report said at least one victim was unconscious.

The Bekasi collision follows another major rail disaster in Indonesia in January 2024 in West Java, when four train crew members were killed and about two dozen people were injured near Cicalengka and Rancaekek. With Jakarta’s commuter belt packed with daily riders, the latest crash again raises hard questions about signaling, station procedures, and whether the network’s safety checks are keeping pace with the region’s growth.