Police: Fire in Tangerang Prison Caused by Negligence

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Metro Police Director of General Criminal Investigation, Sr. Comr. Tubagus Ade Hidayat, confirmed that the fire in Tangerang prison was purely due to negligence and no criminal intention was found.

“Investigators agreed that there was no intention, but negligence,” said Ade in Jakarta Police HQ in South Jakarta, Wednesday, September 29.

Ade explained the fire was generated by short circuit because the electricity installation was executed by an inmate JMN who did not have expertise in the field. “When the cable is not installed properly, the miniature circuit breaker (MCB) will not work when a short circuit occurs. That is the cause of the fire,” he said.

According to expert witnesses from the University of Indonesia and PLN officers, the fire quickly grew as it reached the prison’s ceiling that was made of wood. Inmates and prison officers were also too late to realize the fire as it broke out in the early hours at 2 a.m.

The fire hitting Block C2 on Wednesday, September 8, killed 41 inmates who were trapped at their cells. Eight other inmates died after suffering from severe burns in the hospital.

Police have named six suspects thus far, including three officers of Tangerang prison identified as RU, S, and Y. They are charged with Article 359 of the Criminal Code on negligence that caused deaths.

The three others are JMN and two prison administration officers, PBB and FS, and are charged with Article 188 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 55 and Article 56 on negligence that caused a fire. The suspects faced up to five years in prison. The police were still developing their investigation to look for other suspects.

Read: Police Name Three Suspects in Tangerang Prison Blaze

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH