Death toll from Indonesia train crash rises to 16, all women

The death
toll from a train crash outside the Indonesian capital Jakarta rose to 16, all
women, after an injured passenger passed away in hospital, officials said
Wednesday.
A
long-distance train slammed into the last, women-only carriage of a stationary
commuter train near the Bekasi Timur station late Monday, prompting a nearly
12-hour rescue effort with crews prying open mangled carriages.
Jakarta
police spokesperson Budi Hermanto told AFP Wednesday that a 25-year-old woman
died in the morning, bringing the toll to 16.
Ninety
people were injured in the incident, Budi said. Forty-four were discharged
after receiving hospital treatment.
The
national search and rescue agency said all the victims were women.
The
commuter train had been standing at a level crossing after an incident
involving a taxi at a level crossing, when the long-distance train crashed into
the back of it, officials have said.
All the
victims were in the commuter train.
The
transport ministry has opened an investigation into the taxi company, minister
Dudy Purwagandhi told reporters Wednesday.
President
Prabowo Subianto has blamed the deadly incident on unsafe level crossings, and
ordered a countrywide upgrade with guard posts or flyovers.
Transport
accidents are not uncommon in Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation where buses,
trains and even planes are often old and poorly maintained.
















