Authorities told to close Batam hotel after fires
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.