He noted that fires like the one at the Terra Drone shop-house building in Central Jakarta, which killed 22 people, must not happen again. Therefore, his office is evaluating building construction requirements and fire prevention procedures.
“Are there rules mandating high-risk buildings to be regularly inspected by local authorities? If not, then we may need to create them,” Karnavian said after inspecting the burned Terra Drone building on Wednesday.
He said his side was still assessing the number of buildings, especially in Jakarta, that were not yet suitable for fire prevention. Moving forward, he pointed out, there should be mechanisms for regular inspections of high-risk buildings, whether annually, every two years, or every three years.
“And this is not just for Jakarta, but all across Indonesia,” he added.
Regarding legal matters, he said law enforcement authorities will handle any potential negligence that leads to fatalities or fires, as regulated under the Criminal Code (KUHP).
Although criminal sanctions exist, the Ministry will also intervene to check technical aspects, including potential violations of building regulations.
“We are also conducting an internal audit through the Ministry’s Inspectorate General on all regulations up to the issuance of certificates of proper function, to see if they have been properly carried out,” he explained.
On Wednesday, the Polri Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, identified seven victims of the Terra Drone shop-house fire. Previously, the hospital had identified three victims on Tuesday (December 9).
The total number of identified victims as of Wednesday reached 10 out of 22 bodies received at Polri Hospital.
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Translator: Bagus, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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