A fire tore through a seven-storey office building in Indonesia’s capital on Tuesday, killing at least 22 people, police said.
Police said a battery that exploded on the first floor had ignited the fire, which spread to the upper levels of the building in central Jakarta before being put out.
Susatyo Purnomo Condro, the Central Jakarta police chief, told reporters that “the number of victims who died is 22,” updating an initial toll of 17.
Most of the dead were women, including one who was pregnant, he said.
But the toll could still rise as emergency workers search the scene for people possibly trapped inside the building or more victims.
Susatyo said that firefighters were focused on cooling the building and clearing thick smoke from several floors.
“We will search the place again once it is cleared,” he said.
At least 100 firefighters and 29 fire trucks were deployed to extinguish the blaze, according to the Jakarta Fire Department.
The police chief said most of the victims did not seem to suffer burns and most likely died of asphyxiation.
The bodies had been taken to the police hospital for autopsy, he added.
“We are still collecting data, but for now, we are focusing on identifying the victims who have been found,” Susatyo said.
AFP footage showed the charred facade of the building, used by an agricultural drone services company, with some windows shattered.
Firefighters used large fans to cool down the site.
Curious onlookers watched the aftermath from afar as firefighters and police officers carried out a body bag from the burnt building.
Deadly fires are not uncommon in Indonesia. In 2023, at least 12 people were killed in the country’s east after an explosion at a nickel-processing plant.
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