TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Maritime Museum will be closed to the public on Wednesday after its Building A and B caught fire on Tuesday morning.
"It will likely be closed for a day and will be opened to the public the following day," Husnizon Nizar, acting chief of the museum, said on Tuesday.
Read also: Maritime Museum Catches Fire
Although several collections, including marine navigation instruments and traditional boats in miniature caught fire, the public can still visit the library and diaroma in two blocks of Building A of the Dutch colonial heritage site dating back to the 17th century, he noted.
He remarked that Jakarta Governor Anies Bawesdan had instructed him to secure rooms and isolate the museum for the time being.
governor said although the museum is open, visitors must not get injured due to the debris from the fire," he stated.
The fire razed Building C in blocks two and three that contained several collections, including marine navigation instruments and traditional boats in miniature, and Building A in blocks four and five that contained a diaroma on the history of international sailors.
A museum officer spotted the fire on Tuesday morning at 8:50 a.m. local time. He tried to put out the blaze but to no avail.
Read also: Anies Baswedan: Bahari Museum Historical Items Invaluable
The fire could be put out after several fire trucks were sent to the scene.
Spokesperson of Jakarta Police Argo Yuwono said, the fire suspected due to electrical short circuit. "According to the witness, there was a spark of fire at C Room. It came from a burning cable," he said at Jakarta Police headquarters on Tuesday (January 16).
ANTARA