Batam council unaware of hotels' safety systems<\/p>\n
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau<\/p>\n
An executive of the Batam chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and
\nRestaurant Association (PHRI) has warned of further hotel fires,
\ndue to the poor safety systems in most hotels here.<\/p>\n
Anas, treasurer of PHRI Batam and owner of the Novotel Batam
\nHotel, said things had worsened as local authorities did not
\nregularly check hotels' safety systems.<\/p>\n
"The government has generously rated hotels without examining
\nthe requisite facilities for such ratings," Anas said.<\/p>\n
He was commenting on developments in the safety standard of
\nhotels on the blossoming industrial island following the Harmoni
\nHotel fire on Sunday that killed four people, including a
\nSingaporean, and injured 22 others.<\/p>\n
Anas said neither the municipal administration nor the Batam
\nauthority had any clear criteria as to rating hotels, indicating
\ntheir ignorance of the required safety standards for specific
\nratings.<\/p>\n
"People now feel that hotels in Batam are unsafe at night or
\nin the event of an emergency. The occupancy rate here has
\ndeclined since the accident, although I don't know by how much,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
A fire damaged the Harmoni Hotel on Jl. Imam Bonjol, Nagoya,
\nBatu Ampar subdistrict, at dawn on Sunday, a few hours after it
\nhad hosted a wedding party at its 9th-floor ballroom. The party
\nhad ended by midnight.<\/p>\n
Two of the four victims died after jumping from the hotel's
\nseventh and third floors respectively, to escape the thick smoke
\nin their rooms.<\/p>\n
The police's forensic laboratory said a short circuit was the
\nmost likely cause of the fire. Chief of Batam Police Adj. Sr.
\nComr. Suhartono, however, said further investigation would be
\ncarried out on the 7th, 8th and 9th floors to confirm the result
\nof the forensic tests.<\/p>\n
Anas said regular assessments of safety systems should be
\nconducted by local government officials every six months.<\/p>\n
"But this routine security check doesn't happen. We can't do
\nanything but remind all of our members," Anas said.<\/p>\n
Of the 43 hotels in Batam, 30 are PHRI members.<\/p>\n
When contacted, Harmoni Hotel general manager Angeline Loo
\ndeclined to comment on the hotel's safety system.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Batam authority board Ismeth Abdullah said he
\nwould set up a team to examine the safety systems and facilities
\nat all 43 hotels here.<\/p>\n
"We will make sure there will be no more hotel fires in
\nBatam," said Ismeth.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/batam-council-unaware-of-hotels-safety-systems-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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