Fire in seven-storey Jakarta building claims 20 lives

A fire erupted at a seven-storey building in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, on December 9, leaving 20 people confirmed dead, officials said.

According to Central Jakarta Police Chief Susatyo Purnomo Condro, cited by foreign media, the blaze has been fully extinguished, but search efforts are ongoing as authorities continue looking for any additional victims who may still be inside the structure.

Condro said the fire began on the first floor around midday before rapidly spreading to the upper levels. At the time, some employees were inside the building having lunch, while others had already stepped out of the office.

By Tuesday afternoon, the official death toll had climbed to 20, Condro told reporters.

“Now, we are still focusing on evacuating victims and doing fire cooling,” he said.

The building houses the offices of Terra Drone Indonesia, a company that supplies drones for aerial survey operations to sectors ranging from mining to agriculture. The firm is the Indonesian subsidiary of Japan-based Terra Drone Corporation, according to its website.

Footage aired by local television showed dozens of firefighters attempting to rescue individuals trapped inside and later carrying body bags out of the premises. Some workers were seen climbing down from high floors using portable ladders to escape the smoke-filled building.

The incident follows a catastrophic blaze in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district last month, which killed nearly 160 people.

By Tamilla Hasanova