BI fire should serve as a warning for developers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Fire Department said the inferno
\nthat engulfed the top floors of Bank Indonesia's office tower on
\nMonday, killing 15 people, should encourage high-rise developers
\nand executives to pay more attention to their fire safety
\nsystems.<\/p>\n
Fire official Johny Pangaribuan said Tuesday that most of the
\nfires that destroyed high-rise buildings were usually caused by a
\nlack of maintenance of safety equipment.<\/p>\n
\"It's a matter of neglect. They (developers and building
\nowners) regard such tasks as someone else's job.\"<\/p>\n
Johny said that almost 90 percent of the city's 650
\nskyscrapers have not met safety standards, some of which are set
\nby the fire department.<\/p>\n
\"We do find the equipment in good condition during the routine
\ninspection once a year, but the facilities are not properly
\nmaintained after that.\"<\/p>\n
Johny also expressed concern over the nominal fines imposed on
\nnegligent building owners, as set out in regulation No. 3 on fire
\nprevention.<\/p>\n
Owners who ignore the fire department's third warning about
\nneglected safety equipment are usually reported to the police, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"But, during the court session, a guilty building owner will
\nonly be fined about Rp 50,000 (US$10.81),\" he said, adding that
\nthe amount did not correlate with the destruction caused by a
\nfire.<\/p>\n
Bodies<\/p>\n
Relatives of those killed in Monday's fire have been allowed
\nto remove their loved ones from Cipto Mangunkusumo General
\nHospital in Central Jakarta and arrange their burials.<\/p>\n
The last victim to be taken from the hospital was Legimin. His
\nbody was buried in Kampung Gedong Public Cemetery in East Jakarta
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
After forensic doctors Budi Sampurna and Mun'im Idries had
\nexamined the bodies, and Central Jakarta Police precinct had
\ngiven approval, the families were free to remove the bodies.<\/p>\n
Budi said that the victims suffered severe burns and
\nsuffocated to death.<\/p>\n
\"Only nine of them could be physically identified as the rest
\nwere in very bad shape.<\/p>\n
\"However, we could identify them from their clothes and the
\nremains of personal documents like ID cards or company name
\ntags.\"<\/p>\n
One of the bank's employees, Erika, was buried Tuesday in
\nMenteng Pulo Public Cemetery in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Erika's husband, Muhammad Guruh, said that he was concerned
\nabout the fate of his two daughters, Jilly and Dilla.<\/p>\n
\"I can accept Erika's death as her destiny but I don't think
\nmy daughters can easily think about it that way.\"<\/p>\n
Erika, who had worked for BI for 20 years, was found death on
\nthe 24th floor along with three other victims.<\/p>\n
She reportedly reached the 20th floor safely but rushed
\nupstairs to get her boss' bag on the 22nd floor.<\/p>\n
Grief also touched the families and relatives of 27-year-old
\nIndarto Subagyo.<\/p>\n
Indarto's younger brother, 19-year-old Iman, said that his
\nsibling, who was an electrical engineer at PT Capital Mutual
\nCorporation, started work there a year ago.<\/p>\n
\"He worked there as soon as he graduated from Trisakti
\nUniversity,\" he said, adding that Indarto was very smart.<\/p>\n
Iman said that his brother's death was the saddest thing that
\nhad happened to his family.<\/p>\n
Among the mourners waiting in the morgue's crowded hall was
\n28-year-old Tanirah, who sat in silence and waited for assistance
\nfrom morgue staff.<\/p>\n
She could only stare at her husband Solihin's remains and
\nadmitted that she was completely confused about how she felt at
\nthat time.<\/p>\n
With the couple's child, one-year-old Luki, on her lap, she
\nsaid that she would transport her husband's body to Bumiayu in
\nCentral Java for burial.<\/p>\n
\"He worked hard to earn money in Jakarta as we were planning
\nto build a house in Bumiayu.\"<\/p>\n
The morgue staff, who have been working around the
\nclock, said they were relieved that it only took two days to
\ncomplete the identification of bodies and give the families
\nclearance for burial. (04)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bi-fire-should-serve-as-a-warning-for-developers-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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