Seven Victims Identified in Grand Polonia Medan Luxury House Explosion
The evacuation process for victims of the explosion at the Grand Polonia luxury housing complex in Medan Polonia District, Medan City, North Sumatra, was still ongoing as of Tuesday afternoon. The blast occurred on Monday afternoon, and to date, seven people have been identified as victims. The breakdown includes four survivors, one person found dead, and two others who remain missing.
Head of the Medan Class A Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas), Hery Marantika, stated that the four survivors are Jeavelin (2), Hasan, a driver, and a courier whose name is not yet known. The two individuals still being searched for are Ros, a household assistant, and Sinta, a babysitter. The body of Jesika, the wife of the homeowner, was found dead amidst the rubble.
“The joint SAR team continues to race against time to conduct search operations for the two victims still buried under the building debris following the explosion,” Hery said on Tuesday. He confirmed that all personnel are making maximum efforts to find the two missing victims while prioritising the safety of all officers in the field. “The joint SAR team is currently conducting intensive searches using methods adapted to the condition of the building rubble. The search is also assisted by three excavators and one crane to open access to the search point,” he added.
The large explosion occurred at house number 3B in the Grand Polonia housing complex on Monday around 3:30 PM Western Indonesian Time. The force of the blast caused severe damage to the three-storey house, with most of the building structure collapsing. The explosion not only destroyed the house at the epicentre, but the debris also hit three cars parked in front of the house. Several neighbouring houses to the left, right, and front 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 investigations suggest a gas leak from an underground pipe network located in the area of the house.