Jakarta. Police suspect a drone battery explosion triggered the fire that killed 22 people at the Terra Drone Indonesia office in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, including 15 women and one pregnant victim.

Central Jakarta Police Chief Senior Commissioner Susatyo Purnomo Condro said the initial assessment points to a burning drone battery as the source of the blaze, although forensic experts are still investigating.

“From the preliminary information we received, the fire was caused by a drone battery that caught fire,” Susatyo said at the scene. He stressed that the National Police Forensic Laboratory (Labfor) will require more time to confirm the exact cause.

Police are now examining whether negligence or regulatory violations contributed to the tragedy.

“We will investigate whether the fire resulted from negligence or if other parties are responsible. We will also review the company’s operating permits,” Susatyo added.

Executives to Be Questioned
Terra Drone Indonesia is the local branch of Terra Drone Corporation, a Japan-based global drone manufacturer and service provider.

Susatyo confirmed that the building owner and company executives will be summoned for questioning. Some witnesses have already been escorted to Central Jakarta Police Headquarters for interviews.

The victims were found on the third, fourth, and fifth floors of the building. Police did not disclose the number of survivors but confirmed that several employees managed to escape.

“Survivors used the emergency route, reached the rooftop, and crossed to the neighboring building,” Susatyo said.

Bodies recovered from the site have been taken to the National Police Hospital in Kramat Jati for forensic identification, which includes matching data with relatives before releasing names to the public.

Authorities say further updates will follow pending forensic results and company inspections.

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