102 Die, 300 Hurt as Trains Collide Head-on in Indonesia

Two passenger trains collided head-on during the Monday morning rush hour, killing 102 people and injuring about 300, authorities reported. Many of the victims were schoolchildren.

Some passengers jumped free just in time. Most were riding on the roof or between cars on the packed Jakarta-bound train, which was going 30 m.p.h., and saw the other one approaching on the single track at the same speed.

More than 300 soldiers and police worked into the night, and 25 ambulances took the injured to hospitals. Red Cross workers gave emergency blood transfusions at the scene.

Of the 300 injured, more than 50 were in critical condition and about 60 were treated and sent home, officials reported. They said most victims were schoolchildren or commuters who worked in Jakarta.