Police Investigate Fatal Fire That Killed Four in Tebet

Police are investigating a fire at a boarding house and photocopy shop on Jalan Rasamala II, Menteng Dalam, Tebet District, South Jakarta, that killed four people in the early hours of Monday (24/8).

Tebet Police Chief AKP Ischak said the National Police Forensic Laboratory (Puslabfor) has been involved in investigating the cause of the fire.

“Correct. Following up on the cause of the fire by Puslabfor,” Ischak said when contacted on Monday.

Ischak said the investigation process is still ongoing to look into the fire incident. A number of witnesses have also been questioned to examine the sequence of events.

“We are conducting examinations of witnesses. The deceased victims were taken to the National Police Hospital, and the injured victims were taken to Tebet Regional General Hospital,” he said.

Previously, the Head of the South Jakarta Fire and Rescue Sub-department, Asril Rizal, said the fire occurred at around 3.15 a.m. Western Indonesia Time and was first noticed by a witness who heard shouting.

“At around 3.15 a.m., a witness heard shouts of fire from the neighbouring boarding house and smoke entered his boarding room,” Asril said in a statement on Monday.

Afterwards, the boarding house occupants left the building and saved themselves. The preliminary suspicion is that the fire started in the photocopy machine room.

“The boarding house occupants came out and saved themselves with their friends. The fire is suspected to have started in the neighbouring boarding house, from the lower part of the photocopy machine room,” Asril said.

The incident caused four deaths: a woman with the initials RA (68), a man with the initials SH (77), a man with the initials RPW (30), and a male boarding house occupant whose identity is not yet known.

In addition, the fire also caused one injury, namely G (25). The victim was taken to Tebet Hospital for medical treatment.