Asahan, North Sumatra. A couple and their two young children were killed after their car collided with a train at an unguarded railway crossing in Sei Halim Hasak village, Sei Dadap District, Asahan Regency, on Sunday, police said.

All four victims were local residents. They have been identified as Abdul Kahar (35), his wife Wariani (30), and their children Erlio (6) and Khain (2).

“When crossing the tracks, the driver was likely unaware of the approaching train, and the collision was unavoidable,” said district police chief Adjunct Commissioner Suharyanto Tambunan. He added that the family had just visited a relative and was heading home at the time of the accident.

Local residents who knew the family rushed to the scene and attempted to help, but all four passengers succumbed to their injuries.

“Two victims died instantly at the scene, while the other two passed away at the hospital,” Suharyanto said.

According to data from the Ministry of Transportation, Indonesia has around 5,000 railway crossings, 3,121 of which lack proper safety systems or on-site guards, and 628 are considered illegal crossings.

The Indonesian Transportation Community (MTI), a non-governmental organization, reported that from 2018 to May 2023, there were 1,782 accidents at railway crossings across the country.