TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT MRT Jakarta corporate secretary Tubagus Hikmatullah clarified that the cable reel fire on the track of the Jakarta mass rapid transit (MRT) project was not caused by the electrical short circuit. It was allegedly caused by the cigarette of a contractor’s worker.

“A number of cigarette butts and packs were found at the MRT project site where the cable was burned,” Tubagus said on Wednesday, July 4.

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Earlier on Tuesday, fire burned MRT cable reels at Jalan Lebak Bulus Raya, South Jakarta. Initially, Irwan, the head of South Jakarta Fire Department, predicted that the fire was caused by a short circuit.

Tubagus ensured that the fire was not caused by the electrical short circuit. Because there was no electric equipment installed on the project site, PT MRT suspected that some workers from Metro One Consortium and PT Asahi Kokusai Techneion Indonesia (AKTI) who were smoking.

“Allegedly, it was caused by human negligence,” Tubagus said.

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PT MRT also found weak supervision applied by contractors and subcontractors to prevent smoking among workers. Both contractors failed to enforce policies that ban smoking in the workplace.

Therefore, PT MRT issued a reprimand letter and a demerit point to Metro One Consortium. PT MRT also fired a supervisor in charge when the fire occurred. “We demand the Metro One Consortium contractor to strictly prohibit cigarette [smoking) at the project site,” Tubagus said.

LANI DIANA WIJAYA