At least 22 people killed in office building fire in Indonesia’s capital

A deadly fire swept through a seven-story office building in central Jakarta on Tuesday, killing at least 22 people, including a pregnant woman, as flames rapidly engulfed the structure and sent plumes of thick black smoke into the sky.

The blaze erupted around midday in the Kemayoran neighborhood, according to Central Jakarta police chief Susatyo Purnomo Condro. Authorities believe it originated on the first floor before quickly spreading upward throughout the building, which housed PT Terra Drone Indonesia, a company specializing in unmanned aerial vehicle technology for various industries including construction, mining, oil and gas.

Emergency responders mobilized quickly, with hundreds of personnel and 29 fire trucks dispatched to battle the flames. Despite their efforts, the fire raged for three hours before firefighters finally extinguished it.

Among the deceased were seven men and 15 women, including a pregnant woman. Police transported the victims to a hospital in East Jakarta for identification. Most died from smoke inhalation rather than burns, according to preliminary reports from authorities.

“We will comb through the entire building again,” Condro told reporters when asked about the possibility of finding more victims. “Firefighters are cooling down the scene because the smoke is still thick and it is not yet possible for us to enter the structure.”

Eyewitness accounts suggest the fire may have started with a battery malfunction. Intan Puspita, who lives near the building, told The Associated Press that she heard a loud bang before seeing workers flee the structure.

“When asked, they said that there was an alleged short circuit in one of the batteries during the charging process,” Puspita recounted. She witnessed the fire spread rapidly while some workers attempted to escape by moving to the rooftop.

Many employees were fortunately out for lunch when the battery reportedly began sparking in a storage and testing area, potentially reducing the number of casualties. However, dramatic scenes unfolded as firefighters used emergency ladders to rescue more than a dozen trapped workers from the sixth floor.

Television coverage showed the tense evacuation as workers, many of them women, were lowered one by one from the building. Several struggled to breathe while waiting for rescue due to the thick smoke that had filled the upper floors.

Firefighters managed to save at least 19 trapped employees, some with minor injuries but all reportedly in weakened and traumatized conditions. A police officer and a firefighter also experienced breathing difficulties during the rescue operation.

The incident has raised serious questions about workplace safety standards in Jakarta. During a visit to the site, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung emphasized the need for companies to develop stronger safety cultures and emergency evacuation plans.

“This case obviously shows the company does not provide ’emergency access’ from fire in the direct physical sense,” Anung told reporters, suggesting inadequate safety measures may have contributed to the high death toll.

PT Terra Drone Indonesia provides drone technology solutions for various industrial sectors, including urban planning and energy. The company has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.

Throughout the day, distressed families gathered near the building and at local hospitals, anxiously awaiting news of loved ones who worked in the facility. The scene outside the charred building was described by one witness as “tragic” as body bags were carried from the structure.

Authorities continue to investigate the precise cause of the fire, though initial evidence points to an electrical malfunction involving batteries used in the company’s drone operations. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about fire safety regulations and enforcement in commercial buildings across Indonesia’s densely populated capital.