Human error blamed for accident

Evi Mariani, Jakarta

Contractor PT Pembangunan Perumahan, which is constructing the Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD) Suites, blamed Monday's fatal crane accident on human error.

"Before it collapsed, the crane was working fine," Tumyono, the head of the SCBD Suites construction project, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He also said the company would compensate the families of the three construction workers who were killed when the crane they were working on collapsed.

"We will compensate the families according to the law," he said.

The crane collapsed on Monday at the construction site in South Jakarta where the apartments are going up. Construction workers Daniel Tusubu, 21, Aock Sikrat, 22 (not Bahok as earlier reported), and Sarkam, 40, were killed in the accident

The accident also left three other workers injured: Rebo, 21, Wagimin, 47, and Sugiyanto, 41.

After the accident, the contractor immediately closed the site, preventing the press from talking to construction workers or supervisors.

When the Post attempted to speak with officials at the SCBD management company, PT Danayasa Artha, on the 12th floor of the Artha Graha building, a security guard said nobody was present to comment on the matter.

Another security guard claiming to work for the SCBD management company visited the press room at the Jakarta Police Headquarters on Tuesday afternoon, asking journalists not to write stories about the fatal accident.

The security guard, who identified himself as Captain Denny, was accompanied by a man wearing an Army uniform.

"I am asking you not to run any more stories about the crane collapse," he said without any further explanation.