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Deadly blaze engulfs Jakarta office building
A fire at a seven-story office building in Indonesia's capital has claimed at least 22 lives, with authorities still searching for additional casualties, police said on Tuesday.
Fire origin and initial response
Jakarta police chief Susatyo Purnomo Condro stated the fire erupted in the afternoon, likely triggered by an exploding battery on the first floor. The flames rapidly spread upward, trapping workers who were having lunch at the time.
The building houses a drone manufacturing company, which provides services such as aerial surveying, mapping, and industrial inspections.
Victims and cause of death
Most of the deceased were women, including one who was pregnant, according to Susatyo. Preliminary reports suggest the victims succumbed to smoke inhalation rather than burns.
Rescue operations underway
Firefighters deployed 28 engines and around 100 personnel to combat the blaze, which has since been extinguished. Dramatic footage showed trapped employees being rescued via aerial ladders as thick smoke billowed from the upper floors.
Rescue teams are now concentrating on the building's upper levels, with access to the sixth floor described as particularly difficult by on-site firefighters, the Jakarta Globe reported.
Ongoing investigations
"We are still gathering data," Susatyo told the Associated Press. "Our immediate priority is identifying the victims who have been recovered."
Authorities have not yet released details on the total number of workers present at the time of the fire or confirmed whether all occupants have been accounted for.
