Abdul Muis Building Fire Response Nears Completion, No Fatalities Reported

The fire response at the Technical Services Building, also known as the Bapenda Building, on Jalan Abdul Muis, Gambir, Central Jakarta, was nearing completion as of 10 AM on Saturday (8/8).

Firefighters successfully evacuated one person who had been trapped on the 16th floor

Firefighters were still checking several floors to ensure there were no remaining hotspots or embers that could reignite the fire.

Jakarta Ensures Public Services Stay Operational After Abdul Muis Building Fire

Central Jakarta Fire and Rescue (Gulkarmat) Sub-agency Head Syarifudin said firefighters were checking the 11th through 16th floors, with only a few hotspots remaining.

"We should be finished within the next 30 minutes to an hour," Syarifudin said on Saturday (8/8).

He explained that firefighters were not only extinguishing hotspots but also breaking up piles of burned material to prevent the fire from reigniting after the main blaze had been brought under control.

"It is basically just the final stage. We are breaking up the piles to prevent them from reigniting. This is more of a preventive measure to ensure the fire does not reignite," he added.

Syarifudin said piles of paper inside the building were among the challenges firefighters faced. The material was highly flammable, requiring personnel to break apart and clear the piles to ensure no embers remained.

"One of the challenges was the piles of paper. They are highly flammable, so we are checking and breaking them apart to make sure everything is completely safe," he emphasized.

According to him, heavy smoke in the emergency stairwells made firefighting more challenging. The fire affected several floors from the 11th floor upward, but firefighters managed to prevent it from spreading to the floors below.

"We were able to cover the lower floors, so the fire did not spread downward," he said.

Preliminary information indicated that the fire started on the 11th floor. However, Syarifudin said the cause had yet to be determined, as the matter falls under the police's authority and will be established through an investigation and crime scene examination.

"Once we finish, the area will be cordoned off with police tape, and the police will take over after we declare the building safe from fire hazards," he said.

Meanwhile, the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency confirmed that there were no fatalities. Firefighters successfully evacuated one person who had been trapped on the 16th floor. The person was taken to Tarakan Hospital for treatment.

Syarifudin said the evacuation was challenging due to the condition of the building and thick smoke. Rescue personnel eventually located the person after they used a flashlight to signal for help.

"The person had a flashlight and used it to signal that they were trapped. So while we were fighting the fire, rescuing them was also our priority yesterday. There were many challenges, but thankfully, our special rescue team managed to locate and evacuate the person," he added.

Syarifudin said firefighters continued checking floors 11 through 16 through Saturday afternoon.

Regarding the building's condition and whether it would be fit to reopen, Syarifudin said the decision would be left to the building management.

"As for the building's operations, that will be coordinated with the building management. Our priority is to hand over the building once we have declared it safe from fire hazards. Our focus is firefighting, so once the fire is fully extinguished and everything that burned has been dealt with, our task is complete," he noted.