President Prabowo Visits Victims as Death Toll Rises in Jakarta’s Worst Rail Disaster in Years

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — President Prabowo Subianto made a high-profile visit to the Bekasi Regional General Hospital (RSUD) on Tuesday morning, personalizing the state's response to a catastrophic rail collision that has left at least seven people dead. The President’s visit follows a harrowing night at Bekasi Timur Station, where an express train plowed into a stationary commuter carriage, triggering a massive emergency response and an immediate shutdown of a vital transportation corridor.

The direct involvement of President Prabowo signals that the administration views this rail failure not just as a local accident, but as a national safety crisis. For the logistics and transport sectors, the prolonged closure of Bekasi Timur Station—a major hub for the industrial workforce—threatens to disrupt labor movement in the capital’s eastern outskirts. Investors are closely watching for a regulatory crackdown on PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) and potential shifts in infrastructure spending toward automated signaling safety.

Rising Casualties and Rescue Success

The death toll was revised upward to seven on Tuesday morning, with 81 others confirmed injured and spread across nine regional hospitals. The grim update came as the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) successfully extricated the final three victims who had been trapped within the mangled remains of the KRL Commuter Line carriage for over twelve hours.

"This morning, President Prabowo went directly to visit the victims of the train accident in Bekasi," the Presidential Secretariat confirmed in a brief statement. The President’s presence at the bedside of survivors underscores the severity of the incident, which occurred when the Argo Bromo Anggrek express struck the rear of a commuter train at approximately 8:55 PM on Monday.

Transit Gridlock and Emergency Shuttles

With Bekasi Timur Station cordoned off for investigation and debris removal, the region’s transit network has buckled. PT KAI announced that the station is currently not serving passengers, effectively cutting off the Cikarang-Bekasi line. "Our main focus is the handling at the location and ensuring that safety and services for customers remain fulfilled," said VP Corporate Communication at KAI, Anne Purba.

To mitigate the chaos, PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta), the city's bus rapid transit operator, has launched an emergency shuttle service. Four dedicated shuttle buses are now ferrying stranded passengers between Bekasi Timur and Bekasi Station. "This service is specifically provided to facilitate customers stuck at Bekasi Timur Station so they can continue their journey," stated Ayu Wardhani, Head of Public Relations at Transjakarta.

Infrastructure Under the Microscope

Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi arrived at the scene in the early hours of Tuesday to oversee the technical investigation. The focus is now on the signaling protocol that allowed a high-speed express train to occupy the same block as a stationary local train.

While the 240 passengers on the Argo Bromo Anggrek escaped unharmed, the structural failure of the KRL's rear carriage—a designated women's car—has sparked public outcry over the safety of local commuters. As the investigation deepens, the government faces mounting pressure to modernize the aging signaling infrastructure that governs one of the world's busiest suburban rail networks.