At least 22 people were killed and scores more were rescued after a midday blaze tore through a seven‑story office building in Jakarta’s Kemayoran neighborhood on Tuesday, police said. Flames and thick black smoke forced workers and residents to flee while firefighters battled the inferno for roughly three hours before extinguishing it. Authorities say the fire likely began on the building’s first floor in a storage and testing area used by a drone company, with witnesses reporting a battery began sparking during charging. Officials have recovered 22 bodies — seven men and 15 women, including a pregnant woman — and transferred them to the police hospital in East Jakarta for identification.
Key Takeaways
- At least 22 people were found dead after a fire in a seven‑story office building in Kemayoran, central Jakarta; victims include seven men and 15 women, one of whom was pregnant.
- The blaze began around midday on Tuesday and was controlled after about three hours, according to Central Jakarta police.
- Police and witnesses say the fire likely started on the first floor in a storage/testing area after a battery sparked while charging.
- Emergency services deployed hundreds of personnel and 29 fire trucks to the scene; firefighters used an extended ladder to lower trapped workers from upper floors.
- At least 19 people were rescued from the building; most fatalities are reported to have resulted from smoke inhalation.
- Bodies were taken to the police hospital in East Jakarta for formal identification as authorities warned the death toll could change after a full inspection.
- Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung urged companies to improve workplace safety and maintain emergency evacuation plans following the incident.
Background
Indonesia’s dense urban centers frequently place commercial storage, light industrial and office operations in close proximity to residential areas, concentrating risk where fires can spread quickly. Buildings used for sales, storage and equipment testing often handle batteries and electronic components that present a known fire hazard if charging and storage protocols are not strictly followed. Regulatory oversight and enforcement of occupational safety standards vary across sectors and regions, and tragic fires have previously prompted public calls for tighter compliance and inspections.
PT Terra Drone Indonesia, the tenant reported to occupy the building, provides unmanned aerial vehicle technology and operates storage and testing spaces for equipment. Work routines that involve charging batteries in enclosed areas — particularly lithium‑ion cells used in drones — can create rapid, high‑temperature fires if a defect, short circuit or improper charging setup occurs. Emergency access, escape routes and active suppression systems are critical in multi‑story structures to prevent high casualty counts when smoke and heat spread upward.
Main Event
Central Jakarta police chief Susatyo Purnomo Condro said the fire broke out on the first floor and quickly moved upward through the seven levels of the building. Witnesses described a loud bang and an immediate rush of workers exiting the premises; some on upper floors tried to reach the roof to escape the smoke. Television footage showed firefighters extending an emergency ladder to lower trapped workers one by one from the sixth floor, with several evacuees showing visible breathing distress.
Responders deployed 29 fire trucks and hundreds of personnel to contain the blaze. Firefighters worked for about three hours to extinguish flames and to cool hotspots before entering the structure for a systematic search. Condro said teams would comb the building again because dense smoke still hindered safe access during initial operations, leaving the final casualty count subject to change.
Authorities recovered 22 bodies from inside the building and moved them to the police hospital in East Jakarta for identification. At least 19 people were rescued, some with minor injuries, and several survivors were described as weak or traumatized. A police officer and a firefighter also reported breathing difficulties and received attention at the scene.
Analysis & Implications
The likely involvement of a battery in the ignition sequence highlights a recurring safety challenge: batteries used for drones and other portable electronics can fail catastrophically if charging infrastructure, monitoring and storage controls are inadequate. Even a single cell short circuit can trigger thermal runaway, producing intense heat and thick smoke that reduces survivability in enclosed stairwells and corridors.
From a regulatory perspective, the incident will likely prompt scrutiny of workplace safety compliance in Indonesia’s commercial and light‑industrial buildings, especially facilities that handle energy storage devices. Authorities and company leaders may face pressure to tighten inspection regimes, update evacuation infrastructure and require automatic suppression or monitoring systems in spaces where batteries are charged and tested.
Economically, the blaze affects PT Terra Drone Indonesia’s local operations and could ripple through service contracts with construction, mining and energy clients who use drone data. Insurers, clients and industry peers will watch whether the company discloses details on storage practices and whether regulators impose fines, mandates or temporary closures pending an investigation.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Reported |
|---|---|
| Building floors | 7 |
| Reported dead | 22 (7 men, 15 women; includes pregnant woman) |
| Rescued | At least 19 |
| Fire trucks | 29 |
| Firefighting duration | About 3 hours to extinguish |
The table consolidates official and eyewitness counts reported during the response. Authorities emphasized that figures may be revised after full access to the structure and completion of formal identification procedures.
Reactions & Quotes
Officials, neighbors and company representatives reacted with alarm and calls for improved safety measures around battery charging and storage.
“We will comb through the entire building again,” Central Jakarta police chief Susatyo Purnomo Condro said, noting that thick smoke initially prevented a complete interior search.
Central Jakarta Police (official)
Condro’s comment underscored ongoing search operations and the possibility of changes to the casualty count once teams can safely re-enter the building.
“There was an alleged short circuit in one of the batteries during the charging process,” resident Intan Puspita told reporters, describing a loud bang and workers rushing outside.
Local resident/witness
Puspita’s eyewitness account aligns with multiple reports pointing to a battery malfunction in a storage or testing area as the likely ignition source, though investigators have not yet declared a definitive cause.
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung urged companies to develop better workplace safety culture and emergency action plans to prevent similar tragedies.
Jakarta Governor (official)
The governor’s statement framed the blaze as a systemic safety failure and called for immediate corrective measures at company and municipal levels.
Unconfirmed
- The precise technical cause of ignition — whether a manufacturing defect, charging equipment failure, or improper handling — remains under investigation and unconfirmed.
- The final death toll could change after authorities complete a full search and formal victim identification inside the building.
- It is not yet confirmed whether the building had functioning fire alarms, sprinkler systems or compliant emergency exits at the time of the blaze.
Bottom Line
The Kemayoran building fire killed at least 22 people and highlighted the acute danger posed by battery storage and charging in confined commercial spaces. Immediate priorities are completing the investigation, identifying victims, and determining whether safety lapses contributed to the scale of the tragedy.
In the coming days, investigators’ findings will shape whether local regulators impose new requirements on businesses that store or charge batteries, and whether companies operating similar facilities must upgrade infrastructure or revise protocols. For residents and workers near mixed‑use buildings, the incident reinforces the importance of enforced evacuation plans, clear emergency access and stricter oversight of high‑risk equipment.
Sources
- The Associated Press (news agency; original reporting, police and eyewitness accounts)