"Three more inmates, who had earlier survived the fire and underwent medical treatment at the Tangerang Public Hospital, have succumbed to their injuries," the ministry's Directorate General of Prison Public Relations and Protocol Department Head Rika Aprianti noted in her written statement received in Jakarta, Thursday.
The three victims are Hadiyanto bin Ramli, a North Jakarta resident; Adam Maulana bin Yusuf Hendra of Sukabumi District, West Java; and Timothy Jaya bin Siswanto, an inmate incarcerated for drug-related crimes, from Tangerang, Banten.
Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly remains committed to disbursing compensation worth Rp30 million (around US$2,100) to the families and relatives of inmates killed in the Tangerang prison fire.
Related news: Ministry forms five teams to handle Tangerang prison fire case
"We express our condolences, and we remain committed to providing compensation worth Rp30 million to the families of each inmate, who died in the prison fire," Minister Laoly affirmed.
Apart from the ensured compensation, Laoly has also instructed ministry officials to assist the victims' families to complete administrative and funeral necessities for their deceased relatives.
The ministry has also established five specialised teams to assist relatives of the fire victims. The five teams will be tasked with handling the victims' identification, funeral, assistance for victims' families, fire mitigation, and public relations.
The Class I Prison in Tangerang, Banten, was engulfed in fire in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The fire broke out in block C of the prison, with an electrical short circuit being suspected of being the main cause.
The fire initially claimed 41 lives, including of South African and Portuguese nationals, and the deaths of three other victims on Thursday brings the total death count to 44.
Related news: New approach on prison management is necessary: MPR deputy speaker
Translator: M Zulfikar, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
