Mediterania Apartment Residents Say Alarm Did Not Activate During Fire

One resident of Mediterania Apartment in West Jakarta, Antonius (47), stated that the alarm and water sprinkler did not activate during the fire. However, he noted that the alarm always sounded during fire drills.

“We residents, during the fire drills conducted by the West Jakarta fire department, which happens to be located in front of Mediterania Garden 1 Apartment, always had the alarm going. There was always a notification. But precisely when the real fire occurred, neither the alarm nor the sprinkler did anything; they didn’t activate,” Antonius said in Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta, on Thursday (30/4/2026).

He expressed regret over the matter. He suspected that the lack of alarm caused many residents to be trapped by smoke during the fire.

“That’s what we deeply regret, because several victims likely did not know that a fire was occurring in the apartment. So many of them were trapped inside, and when they tried to exit, the corridors were already filled with smoke,” he said.

He said he became aware of the fire at 08:00 WIB. At that time, he heard other residents rushing to leave.

He then looked downstairs and heard sirens from the fire brigade and ambulances. He then attempted to exit from the 28th floor.

“So, I immediately had an instinct that there might be a fire in the apartment. After that, I woke my wife up. As soon as I opened the unit door, the corridor on the 28th floor was already filled with smoke,” he said.

Police have not yet confirmed whether the alarm functioned during the incident. The police will check this matter.

“Regarding the fire alarm, we cannot yet confirm if the alarm system was functioning at the time of the incident. However, security personnel quickly informed the fire brigade, allowing the fire to be handled promptly,” said the Chief of Metro Jakarta West Police, Commissioner Twedi Aditya.

Previously, police revealed the initial emergence of the fire at Mediterania Apartment in Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta. The fire originated from an electrical panel in the basement.

“We received initial information from local security personnel that the source of the fire came from the electrical panel in the basement,” said Commissioner Twedi Aditya, Chief of Metro Jakarta West Police.

He said the fire was quickly extinguished. However, according to him, smoke had already billowed up to the upper floors.

“We need to state that no fire directly touched any residential units. We also apologise for photos circulating on social media that depict units as if they were burned and windows charred. We emphasise that no unit was directly affected by the fire,” he said.