Indonesia charges train driver over crash that killed 16 women

Indonesian authorities have charged a train driver with allegedly failing to apply the brakes in time to prevent a collision that resulted in the deaths of 16 women near Jakarta in April, according to an official. On April 28, a long-distance train collided with a women-only train at a stationary commuter train near Bekasi Timur station, outside the capital.

Rescue efforts lasted into the night as crews worked to free the passengers from the damaged carriages. The 37-year-old driver now faces multiple charges following an investigation which found he had applied the brakes too close to the stalled commuter train. Jakarta police official I Dewa Putu Gede Anom Danujaya stated that investigators determined the emergency braking action could have been performed further away.

The driver faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted, Danujaya added. The incident resulted in the deaths of 16 passengers from the women-only carriage, a feature on Indonesian trains designed to protect women from sexual harassment during commutes. Additionally, 107 people were injured, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).

The report attributed the crash to multiple factors, including signalling and communication system failures. The train driver is currently not under arrest. Transportation accidents are frequent occurrences in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago nation where many buses, trains, and ships are often old and poorly maintained.