PKB Expresses Condolences Over Bromo Fire Disaster

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Awakening Party (PKB) has expressed its condolences over the forest and land fires in the Mount Bromo area of East Java.

PKB Central Executive Board Chairman Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, also known as Cak Imin, instructed Pasuruan Regency PKB branch chairman Yusuf Daniyal and Etwin Oktavianus Tampanguma, head of the Pasuruan Regency Interfaith Brotherhood Agency (BERANI), to pay their respects at the home of one of the deceased, Sukaris.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family. No words can adequately describe this loss,” Yusuf said in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Yusuf hoped that the bereaved family would be given the strength and fortitude to face this extremely difficult time. He also conveyed Cak Imin’s greetings and condolences to Sukaris’s family.

He said the fires in the Mount Bromo area were an important reminder of the need to strengthen protection for volunteers and personnel working in the field. The availability of safety equipment, personnel readiness, coordination between parties and disaster-response procedures must all receive serious attention to minimise the risk of fatalities, he said.

“PKB also urges that efforts to tackle forest and land fires should not focus solely on extinguishing them once they have spread. Prevention, improved preparedness and a thorough review of fire-response efforts need to be strengthened so that similar incidents do not claim lives again,” he said.

The fires broke out in the Mount Bromo area on 15 October 2026. Five people were reported dead, including Sefril and Wisnu, volunteers who worked for a local hotel, and Sukaris, a staff member of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS).

The other victims were Hendra Roni, also a TNBTS staff member, and Munawi, a member of the Forest Ranger Partners Community.