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Indonesia train crash kills 36, injures many

From Kathy Quiano, CNN
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Indonesia train crash
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: 36 people are dead and 26 are injured
  • Indonesia's transport ministry says one train struck another from behind
  • Survivors say the first train was stationary when it was struck
  • The cause of the crash is unclear
RELATED TOPICS
  • Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- A crash involving two trains in central Indonesia Saturday killed 36 people and injured 26, officials said.

The crash occurred when a train traveling from Semarang in Central Java to the capital of Jakarta was struck from behind by another train headed to Jakarta from Surabaya in East Java, according to Bambang Ervan, transport ministry spokesman.

Four coaches have been lifted off the track, and one remains, said Sugeng Priyono, spokesman for the Indonesian railway company.

Many people were crushed in the last carriage of the first train, which was stationary when the other train slammed into it, survivors said.

"Suddenly I heard a very loud sound from behind," said Anwar Riksono, a passenger who was sleeping when the trains crashed. "It shook so hard and the lights went off."

A crane lifted away large pieces of the train, mangled beyond recognition.

The transportation ministry says it is investigating whether the crash was caused by human or technical error.