Police Investigate Discovery of Man's Body in Electrical Substation Near LRT Station

The body of an unidentified man was discovered inside an electrical substation located near the Pancoran LRT Station, South Jakarta, on Tuesday (1/9).

Pancoran Police Chief, Kompol Suminto, stated that information regarding the discovery was received at approximately 17:50 WIB, prompting an immediate dispatch to the scene. “We found that the victim, an unidentified male, entered from below carrying a plastic bag, a saw, and a hat. He then climbed to the second floor of the substation. It is suspected he was electrocuted by high-voltage electricity,” Suminto told reporters on Tuesday.

Based on the evidence found at the location, Suminto noted that the victim was suspected of attempting to steal cables from within the substation. “It is predicted that cables were the intended target, as the tools brought were a hacksaw and a plastic bag,” he added.

The man’s body was subsequently transported to the Polri Kramat Jati Hospital for further examination and identification, as no identification cards were found at the scene. “The victim will undergo an autopsy at Kramat Jati Hospital,” he said.

Suminto also confirmed that a foul odour was emanating from the body. However, he could not yet confirm whether the smell was due to the duration of death or other factors. “Regarding the odour, it may be due to the high-voltage electric shock, so we do not know exactly when the death occurred, as PLN [the state electricity company] stated that high-voltage electricity was involved here,” he explained.

LRT Jabodetabek has issued a statement regarding the discovery of the body in the Pancoran LRT substation, confirming that the deceased was not an employee. “The suspected deceased is not an LRT employee,” said Radhitya Mardika, Manager of Public Relations for LRT Jabodetabek, when contacted. Radhitya noted that no LRT employees had been reported missing.

Radhitya added that the company only became aware of the suspected body in the substation this afternoon. After the foul odour was detected, LRT officials immediately contacted the police to handle the identification process.

Meanwhile, Haris Andika, Senior Manager of Communications and General Affairs for PLN UID Jakarta Raya, stated that PLN acted swiftly to inspect the electrical assets at the location. Based on the initial inspection, damage was found on several parts of PLN’s assets.

“The door of the Connecting Substation, which was previously locked, was found damaged and open. Officers also found that several cables and components inside the substation were not in their proper condition,” he said in an official statement. Haris noted that PLN is coordinating with the police for further investigation to determine the cause and chronology of the incident.