Authorities told to close Batam hotel after fires
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau
Calls grew on Tuesday for authorities on the industrial island of Batam in Riau province to close down the four-star Harmoni Hotel after it experienced two fires in one week.
The first fire broke out in the hotel's ninth floor ballroom on Sept. 7, killing at least one Singaporean and three Indonesians.
Then on Monday, dozens of workers and guests were injured in a fire on the hotel's second floor. At least 11 people were hospitalized with smoke inhalation.
The second fire gutted the hotel only three days after it reopened on Friday following the first blaze.
Urmy Sungkar, who chairs the Batam branch of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, said the fires created a "negative image" for the tourist industry on the island, some 20 kilometers from Singapore.
"The hotel should be closed for damaging the image of tourism in Batam," he said.
"The incidents have disappointed us as tourism operators in Batam. When they (the Harmoni Hotel's management) decided to reopen after the first fire, I asked whether a physical check had been conducted on the hotel's fire protection system. Apparently, the answer was no," Urmy said.
He said the fires constituted a "slap in the face" for everyone involved in the tourist industry in Batam.
The head of the Batam tourist office, Buralimar, blasted the hotel management's lack of professionalism.
"I say that the Harmoni Hotel's management is not professional. I ask that the hotel's operational permit be reviewed," he told The Jakarta Post.
He said it was the Batam Authority, not his office, which issued the permit for the hotel.
Buralimar's brother-in-law, Zul Irianto, was among those killed in the first fire. He said he was never contacted by the hotel to discuss compensation for the death of Irianto.
Urmy said his association believed the first fire was an accident, but that the second one could be considered to have been caused by "carelessness" on the part of the hotel's management.
Legal expert Bambang Yulianto said the Harmoni's management could be charged with violating articles 359 and 360 of the Criminal Code on recklessness that leads to death and injury.
The articles carry a maximum punishment of at least five years in prison, he said.
"The police can take action against the hotel management without waiting for complaints from the victims," Bambang said.
The hotel management could also be charged with violating Article 187 of the Criminal Code on endangering public safety, he said.
The Batam, Rempang and Galang islands police chief, Sr. Comr. Suhartono, did not rule out the possibility of detaining members of the Harmoni Hotel's management team, saying his office was still investigating the two fires.
The general manager of the Harmoni Hotel, Angeline Loo, declined to comment, saying the fires were still being investigated.