Police Process Crime Scene at Grand Polonia House in Medan After Explosion
The Medan City Police (Polrestabes Medan) conducted a crime scene investigation at the site of a house explosion in Grand Polonia, Medan, on Wednesday (22/7). The blast at the luxury home resulted in three fatalities and left four others injured.
Police are continuing a series of investigations following the explosion. The scene is currently cordoned off with police line and under tight guard for the purposes of the investigation process. Heavy machinery remains around the collapsed building to clear construction material covering the front of the house.
Medan Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Jean Calvijn Simanjuntak, stated that his team is maintaining the location in a state of status quo, meaning the crime scene will not be altered until all stages of the investigation are complete.
“We will keep this area in status quo. Why status quo? Because there is still a second stage. The second stage is to ensure the evidence we are looking for. We are doing this inductively and deductively,” Jean said at the scene.
According to him, in addition to searching for and securing evidence, officers are also cataloguing a number of items belonging to the house’s occupants found in the rubble.
“There are still many of the owner’s belongings that we need to catalogue. Whether they will be linked to the evidence or are items to be returned to the owner,” he stated.
Jean also urged the public not to enter the area, which remains under police supervision. This measure is taken to maintain the security of the location and to anticipate potential other criminal acts, such as theft.
“We urge the public at the location, because this area is still in status quo and under police guard, to anticipate other criminal acts such as theft and so on,” he explained.
The large explosion occurred at house number 3B in the Grand Polonia housing complex on Monday (20/7) at around 3.30 p.m. Western Indonesian Time. The force of the blast caused severe damage to the three-storey building, leading to a significant structural collapse.
In addition to destroying the house at the centre of the explosion, the rubble also hit three cars parked in front of the property. Several houses to the left, right, and front of the site also sustained damage from the powerful blast wave.
The exact cause of the incident is still under investigation by the police and related teams. However, initial investigation results point to a suspected gas leak from an underground pipe network located in the area of the house.