According to Indonesian authorities, the fire started on the first floor at midday on December 9 and quickly spread to the upper floors, creating an emergency situation when many employees were having lunch in the building.
Susatyo Purnomo Condro, Jakarta Police Chief, said rescue forces had extinguished the fire and were continuing to search for those who may still be stranded. As of the afternoon of the same day, the number of deaths was confirmed to be 22. Condro said rescue teams still prioritized evacuating victims and cooling the fire area to ensure safety.
The victim's building is the office of Terra Drone Indonesia, a drone service provider for aerial surveying activities, serving the mining industry to agriculture. According to information on the official website, this unit is under Terra Drone Corporation of Japan. Up to now, neither Terra Drone Indonesia nor the parent company has responded to the request for comment.
Images recorded by the media show firefighters trying to reach the upper floors to rescue the trapped people and get the bodies out. Some staff members were seen escaping down the stairs, while the authorities continued to blockade the area.
Isnawa Adji, director of the Jakarta Disaster Management Agency, said authorities are determining the cause of the fire and assessing the damage. According to local media, at least 28 fire trucks and 101 staff were dispatched to the scene. The injured and the victim's body were transferred to Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta for treatment and identification.
