Infant dies, 23 injured in rail accident
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 04/08/2007 3:03 PM
INDONESIA: An economy-class passenger train jumped its tracks some 200 meters before reaching Surodadi station in Tegal, Central Java, on Saturday morning, killing a baby and injuring 23 others.
Eight-month-old Seno Ridlo Kurniawan was fatally pinned beneath a train car.
The 11-car Tawang Jaya train was carrying 400 passengers. It left Jakarta bound for Semarang, Central Java, when four of its cars jumped off the tracks and plunged into a nearby rice field at 3:15 a.m.
Officials from the National Commission for Transportation Safety have been dispatched to the accident scene to begin their investigation into possible causes of the accident.
Spokesman for the train's owner, PT Kereta Api Indonesia, said three heavy equipment units have been deployed to the derailed track site. ""We hope train traffic will be back to normal soon,"" he said.
The 23 injured passengers were treated at the Surodadi community health center and Mitra Siaga hospital in Tegal.
Abandoned passengers were picked up by later trains and buses. -- JP
