Police Investigate Cause of Fire That Killed Elderly Man in Palmerah, West Jakarta

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Police are investigating the cause of a fire that killed an 81-year-old man named Suratman in RT 15 RW 08, Palmerah, West Jakarta. “The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Palmerah Police Criminal Investigation Unit. We know that one person, aged 81, died, and the case is now being handled by the Palmerah Police,” said Palmerah Police Chief AKP Parman Nainggolan at the scene on Monday. He stated that investigators have examined the location and taken statements from several witnesses at the scene. “We have taken witness statements. Hopefully, this will soon shed light on the cause of the fire,” Parman said. Furthermore, the police have requested that the state electricity company, PLN, inspect the electrical installations in the area, including the overhead cables that appear tangled. According to him, the inspection is necessary to prevent similar incidents. “We will convey the need for early measures to prevent future fires. This is a densely populated settlement, so better electrical installations are needed if we want to avoid short circuits,” Parman explained. During their visit to the fire site, the police also provided basic food assistance and compensation to the victims. “We provided assistance. That is our form of concern as the security authority in the Palmerah sub-district,” Parman concluded. Previously, an 81-year-old man died in a house fire in RT 15/RW 08, Palmerah, West Jakarta, on Sunday evening. According to the head of RT 15/RW 08, Ali Hamzah, the victim had been looking for a candle and a cable in the afternoon, and a lit candle is suspected to have triggered the fire. “He had been looking for a candle and a cable since the afternoon. I don’t know what he intended to do. But around 6 p.m., after Maghrib prayers, there was already smoke inside his house. It turned out he had used the candle. The candle was lit, and the table happened to be covered with a cloth. So, the candle fell, and it caught fire, causing smoke,” Ali told reporters at the scene on Monday. Ali added that the fire spread quickly to other buildings because most of the structures in the area were made of wood. The flames even spread to an electricity pole in the residential area. “There are many wooden houses here, so the fire spread quickly. Stone houses can withstand it, but the wooden ones were completely destroyed,” Ali said. He admitted that he had tried to break down the victim’s door, suspecting someone was still inside. However, his search was initially unsuccessful. “We searched everywhere, fearing he might have run outside. I also kicked the door because I thought it opened inwards, but it actually opened outwards,” Ali said. The victim was eventually found around 9 p.m. local time near the bathroom, buried under fire debris. The body was discovered by Public Facilities and Infrastructure Handling (PPSU) officers along with police personnel using flashlights. “By that time, the debris was already piled high. The PPSU officers and police used lights, and then the victim was spotted near the bathroom,” Ali revealed. In the incident, a total of six buildings were affected by the fire, impacting seven families.