Ministry of Foreign Affairs Facilitates Repatriation of Indonesian Citizen Killed in Workplace Accident in Japan
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemlu RI) is currently facilitating the repatriation of the remains of an Indonesian citizen (WNI) who passed away due to a workplace accident in Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.
The Director for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Ministry of Foreign and Foreign Affairs, Heni Hamidah, confirmed in a written statement in Jakarta on Friday (4/9) that the victim was an intern identified by the initials IK (21). The deceased was from Purworejo Regency, Central Java.
IK was a participant in the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) and had only joined the programme in June 2024. The tragic incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday (2/9), where the victim died after becoming trapped in a paint-making machine.
“The deceased’s remains have now been transported from Hiroshima to Tokyo in preparation for repatriation to Indonesia,” said Heni Hamidah.
Heni explained that the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Tokyo and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Osaka have moved swiftly to coordinate with the Otake City Police and relevant parties. This step has been taken to investigate the exact cause of the incident.
As of now, the investigation process is ongoing to ensure the chronology and the factors that triggered the workplace accident are understood. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also ensured that all the deceased’s rights will be fulfilled in accordance with applicable regulations.
“Through KBRI Tokyo and KJRI Osaka, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to coordinate with the Ministry of Manpower, the Otake Police in Hiroshima Prefecture, the receiving organisation, and other related parties to ensure the entire handling process proceeds smoothly,” Heni added.
According to reports from the Japanese media outlet Kyodo, local authorities received an emergency call on Wednesday night regarding a man experiencing heavy bleeding. The victim’s neck was reported to have been caught in a mixing machine at a factory owned by Toda Kogyo Corp., a chemical and materials manufacturer in Otake City.
Police statements indicated that at the time of the incident, the victim was working alone during the paint production process. He was using a mixing machine with a diameter and depth of approximately 1.5 metres each.
Local police are continuing their investigation, which includes reviewing CCTV footage from the scene, as there were no eyewitnesses to the exact moments of the accident.