Farmer Dies in Sugarcane Field Fire in Pati

A farmer in Wedarijaksa Village, Wedarijaksa District, Pati Regency, Central Java, died after being burnt during a sugarcane field clearing operation involving controlled burning. The body was discovered with burns covering approximately 90 per cent of the victim’s body.

Dozens of local residents gathered at the scene in the Tarub Block, Wedarijaksa, where the body of the victim, identified as Y (60), was found on Saturday (6/6) afternoon. One of the victim’s colleagues, S, who was working on the clearing of the sugarcane field owned by M, reported the incident to the local police.

“We were tasked with clearing the remains of the sugarcane harvest, but at different points in the field,” S stated in his testimony on Sunday (7/6).

S continued that after the burning process was completed, he attempted to locate the victim. While searching the area of the residual burn, he found the victim lying face down with severe burns across almost his entire body. “I immediately reported this to the landowner, who then informed the police,” he added.

The Head of Wedarijaksa Police, AKP Suntoro, stated that the victim was found prone with significant burn injuries. A medical team from the Wedarijaksa I Community Health Centre (Puskesmas) immediately arrived at the scene to conduct a crime scene investigation.

Following an external examination, Suntoro revealed that the medical team confirmed the victim suffered burns of up to 90 per cent, and no signs of violence or criminal elements were found. “We strongly suspect that the victim died because he became trapped amidst the rapidly expanding flames while burning the sugarcane leaves,” he added.

Nevertheless, Suntoro noted that police investigators are still conducting further inquiries, including processing the crime scene, interviewing witnesses, and collecting relevant evidence to determine whether the case will proceed or be closed. In this case, the victim’s family has accepted the incident as a pure misfortune and has declined an autopsy, providing a formal statement of refusal witnessed by the local village government.