Worker in Bantul Found Dead After Being Electrocuted in House Ceiling

A construction worker was found dead on the ceiling of a house belonging to a resident in the Nitipuran area, Ngestiharjo, Kasihan, Bantul. The tragic incident involving the elderly man is strongly suspected to have been caused by an electric shock while working.

Bantul Police Public Relations Head, First Inspector Rita Hidayanto, said the incident began when the victim, identified as Sugiarto (63), a resident of Suryodiningratan, Mantrijeron, Yogyakarta City, was finishing a project with his colleagues on Friday (14/8) afternoon. As quitting time approached around 4 p.m. local time, the victim was nowhere to be seen tidying up his equipment.

Suspicion was first raised by one of the victim’s co-workers, Wakimin (53), who noticed the victim’s vehicle was still parked at the work site. “The witness then conducted a search and asked other co-workers,” he said when contacted by reporters on Saturday (15/8/2026).

After receiving a tip from another worker, Agung Waluyo (49), that Sugiarto was working on the roof area, Wakimin climbed a bamboo ladder to check on his colleague. “Upon reaching the ceiling, the witness called the victim’s name repeatedly but received no response. The witness then searched for the victim and saw the victim’s stomach area, already motionless,” he said.

Wakimin immediately shouted for help from Agung. Using a flashlight in the darkening ceiling area, the two found the victim’s body lying stiff and lifeless. “After both witnesses found the victim completely motionless, they climbed down from the ceiling and reported the incident to the project foreman,” he said.

The report was forwarded to Kasihan Police. Shortly afterwards, police officers along with a medical team from Kasihan 2 Community Health Centre and the Forensic Identification Team from Bantul Police Criminal Investigation Unit arrived at the scene to evacuate and identify the victim’s body.

“The examination found no signs of violence on the victim’s body. However, there was a burn wound on the victim’s right palm measuring five centimetres,” he said.

The medical team estimated the victim had died approximately five hours before the examination, given the condition of the body, which was already stiff. “Based on the examination, the victim is indicated to have been electrocuted while working,” he said.

Police confirmed that the body has been handed over to the family. “The family has accepted this incident as a workplace accident,” he said.