Three window washers killed as platform falls

JAKARTA (JP): Two of three window washers died instantly, and one died on his way to the hospital, when the scaffold they were using to wash windows on the sixth floor of the Tira building in Setiabudhi, South Jakarta, crashed to the ground, late Friday night, a city police spokesman said.

Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Saturday that both the police and executives of PT International Service System (ISS), a service management company which hired the washers, were in the dark about how the incident happened.

"The ropes of the scaffold suddenly snapped loose. We have no idea how this happened. The washers were definitely doing overtime. Windows are usually washed in the afternoon," Zainuri told reporters at city police.

Zainuri identified the three victims as Nanang Indriyanto, 23, of Sunter, North Jakarta, Gunawan, 26, of Jatipadang, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, and Dian Kurniawan, 19, of Jatibaru, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.

Magdalena, an ISS public relations officer, who visited the Cipto Mangunkusumo general hospital morgue on Saturday morning, said the company was only responsible for hiring the workers.

"It's the building's management which usually provides the scaffolds. The victims were fully insured and were part of the government insurer's Jamsostek (social security system) program," Magdalena told reporters at the morgue.

"We will definitely take care of their burial and settle their accounts with the families. Don't worry about that."

No member of the Tira building management could be reached for comment.

Dian's mother, Rochmini, who came to take away her son's body, said her son was the only breadwinner of their family.

"Dian is the second of four children. My eldest child, Eka Indah Purwanti, 21, had just graduated from high school and was doing okay, at an expedition company. But she was laid off six months ago," she said.

"Hendro is 17. He is still studying. My 13-year-old Nia is mentally handicapped. We had to take her out of a nursing home, when Eka was laid off."

"Our rented house costs us Rp 210,000 (US$27) a month. Who will now pay so much money, including the school fees of my Hendro? How will we all live now, it's beyond me." (ylt)