Fire in 7-storey building in Jakarta, at least 22 dead

A fire broke out in a seven-storey building in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Tuesday (December 9), killing 22 people, an official confirmed.

According to Reuters, the fire service has brought the fire under control and efforts are underway to find more possible victims inside the building, Central Jakarta police chief Susatio Purnomo Kondro told reporters.

He added that the fire started on the first floor at noon and then spread to the upper floors. Some employees were eating lunch in the building at the time, while others had left the office.

Kondro said, "The death toll has reached 20 as of Tuesday afternoon." We are still focused on evacuating the victims.’ The building is said to be the office of Terra Drone Indonesia, which supplies drones for aerial surveying activities in sectors ranging from mining to agriculture.

Footage broadcast by Compass TV showed dozens of firefighters trying to evacuate people inside the building, with some carrying body bags from the building. Some workers were also seen escaping from the upper floors of the building using portable ladders.