Govt responsible for overpass collapse: Lawyers
Govt responsible for overpass collapse: Lawyers
JAKARTA (JP): As the owner of the overpass project in West Jakarta, the government has ultimate responsibility for Friday's accident, lawyers said yesterday.
"The Ministry of Public Works is responsible for the final selection of the contractor and the general supervision of the project," Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan, director of the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (LBH) said yesterday.
Responsible parties are also the contractor and the field supervisor, said Luhut, director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Office.
Sunardi, a director of the Dharma Nusantara legal aid office, agreed, saying both the government and the contractor can be sued for negligence.
Both Luhut and Sunardi told The Jakarta Post in separate interviews about the collapse of the semi-constructed 600-ton overpass in Grogol, West Jakarta, which killed at least three workers and injured 17 others. Five people are still in hospital.
The contractors of the overpass are South Korean Hanbo General Contractor and a local company, Bumi Karsa.
Luhut said further that the police can question any party involved including South Korean personnel.
The field supervisor should be questioned as to whether he thoroughly checked safety procedures, Luhut added.
Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar said a team will be formed to investigate the collapse of the overpass.
"The contractors will face severe measures if found at fault," he said, declining to specify possible sanctions.
However, the company will be allowed to complete the project, which is scheduled for completion in May.
The minister confirmed on Friday that early indications of what caused the accident was the premature removal of the stagers.
Reports said that a Korean supervisor who reportedly instructed the laborers to remove the stagers has disappeared.
A Hanbo executive in charge of clearing the rubble, Adji Waseso, said the work was estimated to end at 10 p.m. yesterday. But until this news item went to press, workers were still unable to lift the collapsed parts.
"We are working to cut the 600-ton structure into seven equal parts to enable them to be lifted by cranes," Adji said.
Much time was wasted Friday in trying to lift the collapsed part in one piece, he said.
Relatives of the killed and injured workers, including a village head, visited the site and hospital yesterday, newly arrived from their villages in Cikampek, West Java.
So far the death toll is still three, including Sunjaya. At least one worker, Saman, is believed to be under the rubble. (04/anr)