Indonesia charges train driver over April crash that killed 16 women

File picture of rescuers working at the site where a passenger train locomotive pierced through the rear carriage of a commuter train at Bekasi Timur Station in Bekasi on April 28, 2026. Indonesian police charged a train driver Tuesday with allegedly failing to hit the brakes in time to prevent a crash that killed 16 women near Jakarta in April, an official said. — AFP pic

First Published: Tuesday, 29 Sep 2026 5:18 PM MYT

JAKARTA, Sept 29 — Indonesian police charged a train driver Tuesday with allegedly failing to hit the brakes in time to prevent a crash that killed 16 women near Jakarta in April, an official said.

A long-distance train smashed on April 28 into a women-only car at the back of a stationary commuter train near Bekasi Timur station outside the capital.

Rescuers worked for hours into the night to pry open the crumpled carriages.

The 37-year-old driver of the long-distance train now faces multiple charges after an investigation found he had hit the brakes too close to the stalled commuter train.

“Investigators concluded that the emergency braking action could have been carried out further away,” Jakarta police official I Dewa Putu Gede Anom Danujaya told a press conference.

The driver risks up to 12 years in prison if found guilty, said Dewa.

The incident killed 16 passengers of the women-only carriage — a feature on Indonesian trains to shield women from sexual harassment while commuting.

Another 107 people were injured, according to a National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) report.

The report said several factors, including signalling and communication system failures, contributed to the crash.

The train driver is not under arrest.

Transport accidents are common in Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation where buses, trains and ships are often old and poorly maintained. — AFP