A haunted walking tour named Jakarta Mystical Tour, held last Friday evening, almost claimed the lives of its 47 participants on the same site that saw 156 people killed in a tragic train crash 32 years ago.
The tour, which took place a day after Halloween, covered the site of the 1987 Bintaro train crash in Bintaro, South Tangerang. The incident remains one of the worst railway accidents in Indonesia.
At the site, the tour group didn’t realize that danger was fast approaching their way. A train heading towards South Tangerang was passing through as the group gathered on the train tracks for a photo session. The participants dispersed and ran for their lives, resulting in injuries to some.
A tour participant named Manta told Tempo that the group arrived at the location at 11.20pm, and that they were assured by organizers that no more trains are going to pass the active railway that late in the evening.
“When we’re about to take photos, suddenly the train came and almost hit all of us. I ran with all my strength and jumped until I fell down the sewer. I was traumatized by the tour,” Manta, who suffered minor injuries from the incident, said yesterday.
KRL Commuterline operator PT KCI (Kereta Commuter Indonesia) said that they didn’t receive any request from organizers to carry out the tour on the railway. PT KCI spokesperson Anne Purba said the last train for the Tanah Abang-Parungpanjang line, which passed Bintaro, was scheduled for departure at 11.30pm.
“We didn’t receive any report about the activity’s plan. PT KCI urge the public to prioritize their safety and not conduct any activities on the railway, in accordance to the law,” Anne told Tempo yesterday.
Biang Overlander may face criminal sanctions for violation of Indonesia’s railway laws, which forbids train tracks for purposes other than rail transportation. Violators may be punished by up to three months in prison or a fine of IDR15 million (US$1,069).
Several participants of the tour have demanded that Biang Overland refund their IDR350K tour fee, while others only want a public apology from the tour company.
Biang Overlander’s Ananda Satria said the company will cancel its upcoming horror tours in light of the incident. He said the tour guides had mistakenly calculated that no more trains were going to pass through the spot that evening.
“We agree to do a public apology [as demanded by the tour participants],” Nanda said.
Prior to the visit to the Bintaro train track, the tour had taken the group to numerous famous haunted places in Jakarta such as Taman Prasasti Museum, Toko Merah, Jakarta History Museum, and Ancol Bridge.
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