Indonesia’s train crash:

Death toll hits 35

Indoesia: The death toll in the train crash occurred early Saturday morning in Petarukan of Indonesia’s Central Java has reached 35 with possibilities to increase, as 36 injured were still struggling to survive from death, a state-run train firm official said here Sunday.

Sugeng Purwanto, spokesman in charge in Petarukan train station said that the data on casualties were gathered from hospitals that received victims from the deadly crash.

“Some of the remains that were already been identified were transported to their homes,” Sugeng said, adding that another 36 were suffering severe injuries and now treated in separated hospitals in Pemalang. Sugeng said that evacuation on the wreckage of the train was expected to finish yesterday night.

Meanwhile, an eyewitness told of the horror he saw when he arrived at the crash scene a few moment after the collision.

“I heard the crash that sounded like an explosion. I quickly came to the crash scene and helped to bring out the victims from inside the trains. I saw many bodies with their heads off and some others loose their body parts,” Suwindi, 46, who sells traditional ginger beverage around the Petarukan train station told Xinhua from the wreckage evacuation scene.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had conveyed his condolence to the families of the victims and ordered to investigate into the cause of the crash and punish those who are responsible for the deadly incident.

Initial allegation indicated that the crash happened due to human error committed by the machinist of Argo Anggrek, the executive train bound to Surabaya in East Java from Jakarta. It hit the Senja Utama, the business class train bound to Semarang in central Java from Jakarta.

Pemalang,Sunday, , Xinhua