I have asked the director general of correctional facilities and the prison heads to check the electrical installations because the fire at the Class 1 Tangerang prison today allegedly happened due to an electrical installation that was not maintaine
Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA) - Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly has directed all prison heads in Indonesia to inspect electrical installations in prisons following the fire outbreak at the Class I Prison in Tangerang, Banten.



"I have asked the director general of correctional facilities and the prison heads to check the electrical installations because the fire at the Class 1 Tangerang prison today allegedly happened due to an electrical installation that was not maintained," he said at a press conference at the Class I Prison, here on Wednesday.



Electrical installations are important and must be accorded attention, he emphasized. Moreover, several prisons are old and in need of renovation, he noted.



For example, the Tangerang Class 1 prison, which was built in 1972, has never undergone electrical installation repairs, he pointed out. However, addition of power was still being done so that caused problems, he added.


Related news: South African, Portuguese nationals die in Tangerang Prison blaze


Given the current condition of the prison, it is hoped that a similar outbreak does not happen again, Laoly said.



The Ministry of Law and Human Rights is currently focusing on handling the inmates of the prison, he added.



"The condition is that in Tangerang prison, the number of prisoners is overcapacity, then there is the problem of electrical installation. This is an important concern for future improvements," the minister said.



He also said that he has asked that emergency response funds be used for the reconstruction of the Class 1 Prison.


Related news: Tangerang prison blaze claims lives of 41 inmates



"Later next year, we can allocate it for repairs again," the minister added.



The fire that hit Block C of Tangerang Prison on Wednesday at 1:45 a.m. WIB (Western Indonesia Time) was successfully extinguished by firefighters around 3:15 a.m. local time. While 41 inmates died in the fire, eight others have been hospitalized.


Related news: Ministry forms five teams to handle Tangerang prison fire case


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Translator: Achmad Irfan, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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