Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have escalated their handling of last week's fatal train collision at Bekasi Timur Station in West Java, moving from a preliminary inquiry to a full investigation amid renewed scrutiny over railway crossing safety following another deadly crash in Central Java.
Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Budi Hermanto said the force's general crimes directorate is now conducting a formal investigation into the April 27 crash involving a long-distance intercity train and a commuter train, which killed 16 people, all of whom are women, and injured 90 others.
"Our investigators have questioned 31 people, including the complainant, a taxi driver, a traffic guard, witnesses at the scene, victims, [state-owned railway operator] PT KAI operational officers and other parties with direct knowledge of the incident," Budi said in a statement on Sunday, as quoted from Antara.
The deadly crash was triggered by an earlier incident involving a commuter train traveling from Cikarang, West Java, to Bekasi, which struck a stalled electric taxi at an unguarded level crossing near Bekasi Timur Station. The taxi driver reportedly managed to escape unharmed.
The collision forced another commuter train on a separate track bound for Cikarang to come to a halt. Around 30 minutes later, an Argo Bromo Anggrek intercity train en route from Jakarta to Surabaya, East Java, crashed into the stationary commuter train, hitting its rear carriage designated only for female passengers.
Budi said investigators have gathered evidence from the scene, reviewed CCTV footage and were waiting for results of post-mortem examinations from hospitals performing autopsies on the victims.
The Jakarta Police are also scheduled on Monday to question representatives from several government institutions as well as the Green SM taxi company whose vehicle was involved in the initial incident.
"We will find out whether this was related to human error or a system issue," Budi added.
The Bekasi crash has renewed scrutiny over railway safety, particularly at level crossings, thousands of which remain unguarded and with no barrier.
Just days after the incident, another Argo Bromo Anggrek train traveling from Jakarta to Surabaya struck a car at an unguarded level crossing in Grobogan, Central Java, early on Friday. The minivan was carrying nine members of the same family.
Five of the family members were killed, including two children, while four others were injured, according to the Central Java Police on Sunday.
While the Central Java Police are still investigating the cause of the incident, First Insp. Eko Ari Kisworo of the Grobogan Police traffic unit previously said a thick fog contributed to the collision, causing poor visibility to the car's driver who did not see the oncoming train.
Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman offered his condolences on Friday and said the Bekasi and Grobogan crashes must be a turning point to evaluate high-risk level crossings nationwide, echoing President Prabowo Subianto's point earlier in the week.
"This series of [train] accidents should serve as a warning to improve public transportation, particularly railways. Fleets, infrastructure and public services must be supported by adequate infrastructure such as safe level crossings," Dudung said, as quoted from Antara.