Indonesia's Bekasi train survivor recalls collision that claimed 16 lives

Survivor’s Premonition Before Impact

Afna Regita, one of the survivors of the Bekasi Timur train accident that killed at least 16 people, said she felt uneasy and had a ‘bad feeling’ minutes before her stationary passenger train was hit from behind by a long-distance commuter train running on the same track.

Recalling the incident, she said her train had received a green signal to depart but stopped shortly afterwards, when the driver announced a possible collision on the adjacent track.

“There was an accident, people were already getting out (to see), so I didn’t get out […] It’s just that I was tired. I just wanted to sleep,” she said. “But my gut feeling was already bad. I felt uneasy.”

Moment of Collision and Memory Loss

Shortly afterwards, the train she was on was hit by the Argo Bromo train travelling from Jakarta to Surabaya.

Footage shows Afna lying on a hospital bed at Muhammadiyah Hospital in Jakarta, with her face covered in bandages, talking to a relative.

“About five minutes later, I remember hearing the sound of a train horn, but I didn’t realise what was about to happen next. After that, I don’t remember anything at all about what happened inside,” she said.

When she regained consciousness, she was already on a gurney, with her face covered in blood, receiving first aid.

“All I remember is just sleeping on the train. I woke up, already on a stretcher covered in blood, that’s what I remember. But it’s just me, it’s destiny,” she said.

Aftermath, Injuries, and Ongoing Investigation

She said she was shocked to see videos of herself that went viral on social media, showing her face covered in blood.

“I was shocked when people showed me the videos of myself, where I was apparently saving myself and getting out—I was really surprised, like, ‘Was that really me?’ because I don’t remember it at all. That moment is completely blank,” she said.

When she reached the hospital, she could not find her mobile phone to contact her parents. Fortunately, she was still wearing a smartwatch, which she used to contact a close friend and ask them to inform her parents.

Afna has since been transferred from Bekasi General Hospital to Muhammadiyah Hospital in Jakarta at her parents’ request. She suffered facial injuries and required medical treatment, including 20 stitches. Her condition is now gradually improving.

Afna is among the 90 passengers who were injured in the train crash that took place on Monday evening in Bekasi, near the Indonesian capital.

The train carriage reserved for female passengers was badly struck, with local officials saying that all of the victims were women.

In the wake of the disaster, PT KAI cancelled 13 long-distance trips to facilitate wreckage removal and track repairs. The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) has launched an intensive investigation to determine why signalling systems failed to alert the Argo Bromo of the stationary train ahead.

Article by Viory