It injured 213 people, 47 of them seriously. Photos and videos of the victims quickly circulated on social media and many Malaysians were shocked by the gore.
But this was not the first time LRT trains have collided. One such accident took place 13 years ago.
Over the years, there have also been several other rail-related incidents. FMT takes a look back at some that made the headlines.
Aug 16, 2002: Journalist David Chelliah was knocked unconscious after a 14kg monorail wheel dropped on his head as he walked under a newly constructed track. It left him with fractures and other physical injuries which have affected his ability to work and live a normal life.
The newsman sued Monorail Malaysia for RM5 million, and the case dragged on for over 10 years before the two parties agreed to a settlement in 2012.
Oct 27, 2006: An empty LRT coach jumped a concrete barrier as it came to a stop at the Sentul Timur station. A portion of the train was left dangling about 25m above the ground.
Nov 24, 2007: Two middle coaches of an LRT train derailed as it neared the Sentul Timur station, causing a disruption to services at five stations along the line and trapping 10 passengers in trains that were stranded at several locations.
Sept 24, 2008: An LRT train heading towards the Bukit Jalil station came to an abrupt halt about 200m from the station. It was then rammed in the rear by another train. Four passengers were injured.
Sept 9, 2016: Passengers on an LRT train on the Kelana Jaya line were left stranded for 20 minutes after the train came to a complete stop between the Datuk Keramat and Damai stations.
The lights and air-conditioning went off, causing a panic. LRT staff came to their rescue, opening the doors from outside. The passengers had to walk on the track to the Damai station to complete their journey.
Exactly a year later, a disruption between the Setiawangsa and KLCC stations caused passengers to be trapped on the train for 20 minutes.
Aug 22, 2018: About 40 passengers on board a train which stopped at the SS18 LRT station were stranded for 20 minutes when the train came to a sudden stop and its doors malfunctioned.
April 12, 2021: Fallen trees and branches brought train services along the Ampang and Sri Petaling LRT lines to a halt.
Passengers were left stranded as the authorities rushed to evacuate them, a process which took three hours. There were no injuries, but passengers complained about the lack of lighting and air-conditioning.
Last night, LRT trains 181 and 240 collided head-on in an accident police say was caused by a miscommunication.
Only one train, driven automatically, was carrying passengers. The other, which was on its way to being serviced, was driven manually.
The victims were evacuated in less than one hour and taken to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for treatment.