At least four killed in train collision on outskirts of Indonesian capital

At least four people were killed when two trains collided in the city of Bekasi, adjoining the Indonesian capital Jakarta, late on Monday, officials said.

The collision took place in Bekasi rail station between a commuter line train and a long-distance train, the spokesperson of the commuter line operator Karina Amanda told Reuters, adding that "we are focusing on evacuating passengers and train crew".

Four people had been killed and 38 people evacuated to nearby hospitals, said Anne Purba, a spokesperson for Indonesia's railway operator, speaking on local broadcaster Kompas TV.

She said all 240 passengers of the long-distance train were safe. It was unclear how many people were on the commuter line train or how many bystanders were injured.

"Given that the evacuation is still ongoing, it is possible that the number of victims could continue to rise, but let us hope that the evacuation can be completed quickly," the deputy speaker of the Indonesian parliament, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, told reporters at the site of the collision.

He said rescue officials were cutting through the wreckage to free at least six or seven people still found to be trapped inside.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, Karina said. Jakarta police chief Asep Edi Suheri told reporters that the investigation into the incident was continuing.

Rescuers were seen using angle grinders to cut through the metal framework of train compartments in which commuters were trapped but seen alive.

At least 20 ambulances were seen at Bekasi station, Reuters witnesses said, with rescuers from Indonesia's rescue agency also in attendance to help evacuate passengers.