Police Findings in Case of Four Workers' Deaths in Water Storage Tank in South Jakarta
Police have disclosed that the four workers who died at a construction site on Jalan TB Simatupang RT 02/RW 02, Tanjung Barat, Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, were not provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) during the work process.
The Head of Criminal Investigation at South Jakarta Metropolitan Police Resort, AKP Indra Darmawan, stated that this finding was based on the results of the crime scene examination.
“Based on the crime scene examination, the initial processing by the on-duty officers handling the case showed that at the time of the incident, the workers were not using personal protective equipment or PPE,” Indra told reporters on Wednesday (8/4).
Indra explained that so far, his team has examined two witnesses, namely the foreman and the supervisor. He said that the building owner is scheduled to be questioned on Thursday (9/4).
Indra mentioned that his side is still investigating the cause of death of the four victims. On Monday (6/4), the forensic laboratory team also examined the crime scene and took several samples for further analysis.
“The forensic laboratory team and the ministry’s side are conducting sample tests, including gas samples and the water content in the storage tank that caused the deaths of the four individuals,” he said.
“The purpose of taking these samples is to determine the type of gas or the source of the gas that caused the deaths. The results will be announced once available,” he added.
Furthermore, Indra stated that his team is still delving into allegations of negligence behind the incident that killed the four project workers.
“We are still investigating that,” he said.
The tragic incident occurred on Friday (3/4), when the workers were carrying out a project at a multi-storey building in the TB Simatupang area, South Jakarta.
The four deceased victims were identified by initials YN (32) from Subang, MW (62) from Cianjur, TS (63) from West Bandung, and MF (19) from West Bandung. Meanwhile, the three survivors who experienced shortness of breath were UJ (41), SN (63), and AJ (47), all from Purwakarta.
The incident began around 10:00 WIB, when two workers were at the project site. They were asked by the foreman to drain the clean water storage tank located in the basement.
During the process of removing the tank cover, one worker fell into the hole, which was about three metres deep. His colleague tried to help, but without safety equipment.
The rescue attempt turned into a disaster, as other workers also fell into the storage tank. In total, four people fell into the tank, while three others suffered shortness of breath due to exposure to hot air and odours from inside the storage.
The victims were then evacuated by witnesses and rushed to Pasar Rebo Hospital for medical treatment. However, upon arrival at the emergency department, the four victims were pronounced dead by doctors.