Jakarta (ANTARA) - Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian stressed that President Prabowo Subianto does not want deadly fires to recur, such as the incident at the Terra Drone shop-house building in Central Jakarta.
He conveyed this after being contacted by State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi, who expressed concern over the blaze. He said the tragedy serves as an evaluation for the government to reorganize building procedures to prevent future fires.
“I am certain the President does not want this repeated. That is why the State Secretary Minister called us, and as Home Affairs Minister responsible for oversight of the regions, I must ensure this does not happen again,” Karnavian said after inspecting the burned building on Wednesday.
He said he believes President Prabowo is giving close attention to the tragedy, which claimed 22 lives.
“We should not assume the matter is settled, only for a similar incident to occur quietly later,” he said.
The government will review the building’s permit process, including assessing its risk classification, whether it was low, medium, or high.
From current observations, he assessed the building as high-risk due to flammable equipment, namely drone batteries stored on the first floor.
“But because it was considered low-risk, the permit was approved without proper site review, and the Fire Department may not have been involved,” he said.
The death toll from the Terra Drone fire in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday afternoon rose to 22.
“As of 5 p.m., the number (of fatalities) reached 22 fatalities,” Chief of Central Jakarta Police Senior Commissioner Susatyo Purnomo Condro said Tuesday.
He said the victims included seven men and 15 women. Identification efforts are ongoing to confirm all victims and notify their families as soon as possible.
