Rama Billiard Speaks Out After Fire, Claims Losses Exceed Rp 20 Billion

A fire broke out at Rama Billiard & Cafe on Jalan Kolonel Sugiono, Keparakan, Mergangsan, Yogyakarta, this morning. The management of Rama Billiard & Cafe has spoken out about the incident, stating that the estimated losses amount to more than Rp 20 billion. Suwardi, an electrical technician for Rama Billiard & Cafe, explained that this loss estimate is based on the fire’s impact, which razed almost the entire building. According to his assessment, the live music stage, restaurant, and second-floor lounge were completely gutted. “The losses are likely above Rp 20 billion, just the sound system alone was nearly Rp 2.5 billion,” Suwardi stated. “From the outside, the building still looks intact, but inside, everything is gone,” he added. Suwardi revealed that the management suspects the fire was triggered by voltage instability due to frequent rolling blackouts in Yogyakarta. However, he stressed that this remains a suspicion. They are awaiting the results of the police investigation to determine the exact cause. “A voltage surge, going up and down, could have been the trigger. Even though there is an automatic generator, there is a delay, and that damages electronic equipment; an inverter had previously blown out,” Suwardi explained. “Last night, after the live music event ended, the electricity was always switched off. Then this morning, an employee saw a source of fire on the stage,” he concluded. The massive fire was first noticed by a kitchen worker with the initials SA (23). Upon entering the kitchen to start work and turning on the light, SA heard a strange crackling sound coming from the stage area. After checking, he found the stage already ablaze. SA shouted for help from RD (27), an office boy on site. They attempted to extinguish the fire themselves, but as the flames quickly spread, they ran outside to seek help from local residents. The witness then contacted the fire brigade and reported the incident to the Mergangsan police. The Public Relations Officer for the Yogyakarta Police, Iptu Dani Hasan, confirmed the incident occurred around 8:00 AM local time.