Toddler Dies After Falling into Project Hole, Pramono Acknowledges It Belongs to Jakarta Provincial Government

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has spoken out regarding the death of a toddler who fell into a hole at a multifunctional field construction project in the Manggarai area, Central Jakarta. Pramono acknowledged that the project belongs to the Jakarta Parks and Urban Forest Service (Distamhut). “Indeed, it is a project initiated by the DKI Jakarta government for parks. So it is a space for a park managed by CSR, but the child entered that place,” he explained in Kota Tua, West Jakarta, on Monday. He recounted that the child had been accompanying his mother, who was selling tea in Manggarai. At 11.15 pm WIB, the child went to play at the site, which was already closed off due to building construction. “And this child then went to play in a space that was actually closed, and in that closed space there was a hole, a hole for casting at that location,” he clarified. Pramono stated that the government would not obstruct the family if they decided to take the case to court. “If the family then pursues legal action, we welcome it. Because the incident was truly unexpected, a 3-year-old child in the middle of the night entering a pitch-black space and then falling in. That is what actually happened,” Pramono said. Following the incident, Pramono expressed his condolences and confirmed that the Jakarta Provincial Government has provided assistance to the victim’s family since the night of the incident. He added that the government has also deployed personnel in the area to support the family through the burial process. “That very night, I also ordered full support to be given to the family, including all the various expenses being fully covered by the DKI Jakarta government,” Pramono explained. In the early hours of Sunday, police received a report from residents about a child who had fallen into a project hole at RW 04 Park, Jalan Manggarai Utara II, Manggarai Urban Village, Tebet District. The incident occurred around 11.40 pm WIB, when the victim was playing with friends around the project area. The victim fell into a project hole with a depth of approximately 3.5 to 4 metres and a diameter of about 30 by 30 centimetres. The victim’s friends then sought help from officers at the Manggarai Tactical Command Post, who forwarded the report to the Tebet Police duty officer by visiting the scene. Initially, officers attempted a manual evacuation by sending a small-bodied personnel into the hole to pull the victim out. However, this effort was unsuccessful due to the narrow size of the hole and the victim’s traumatised condition. Officers then coordinated with various agencies, including the Fire and Rescue Service, the Tebet Community Health Centre, and Tebet Regional General Hospital, and brought in heavy equipment to assist in the rescue. Two excavators were deployed to dig carefully, first creating a safe path beside the hole to prevent landslides. Police also set up a police line around the location to secure the area and prevent crowds from hindering the rescue process. After a rescue operation lasting approximately four hours, the victim was finally evacuated at around 3.55 am WIB and immediately taken to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital for further medical treatment. The victim was evacuated alive but died on the way to the hospital.