Three window washers killed as platform falls

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)