Indonesia: At least 41 dead, 81 injured after fire breaks out in Jakarta’s prison

On Wednesday morning, a massive fire in an Indonesian prison broke out which killed at least 41 prisoners and left 81 other inmates injured. Meanwhile, authorities are still investigating the reason behind the massive fire but, the preliminary investigation pointed to a short circuit in one of the block’s cells that lead to the fire.

According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), the fire broke out at Tangerang jail in Jakarta late at night when most of the prisoners were sleeping. It took almost two hours for the firefighters to completely douse the flames. While briefing the reporters, Police Chief Fadil Imran said hundreds of police and soldiers were deployed around the prison to prevent prisoners from escaping.

Meanwhile, televised footage of the incident showed firefighters battling to douse orange flames, while some jail staff were seen recovering the bodies from the jail premises. “The fire broke out around 1:45 am. The situation is now under control," Imran said, adding that at least 41 inmates were killed and 81 are were hospitalised, eight of them with severe burns.

Authorities are still investigating the cause but, the preliminary investigation pointed to a short circuit in one of the block’s cells, Imran said. Indonesia’s Justice and Human Rights minister Yasona Laoly, during a presser, informed most of the prisoners killed were drug convicts including two men from South Africa and Portugal. "This is a tragedy that concerns all of us," Laoly said. “We are working closely with all relevant parties to investigate the causes of the fire."

"Jakarta prison was designed to house 1,225 inmates but has more than 2,000 inmates"

While explaining the reason behind the loss of 41 lives, Rika Aprianti, spokesperson for the corrections department at the Justice Ministry, said that the prison was designed to house 1,225 inmates but has more than 2,000 inmates who are currently facing their jail terms. Further, Rika Aprianti said that Block C, where the fire occurred, was stuffed full of 122 convicts and added at least 15 prison officers guarding the area were unhurt. It is worth noting that overcrowding and jail fire in Indonesian prisons has become a common problem faced by thousands of inmates.

In recent times, a large number of people arrested in a war on illegal drugs has further boosted the problem of already overburdened prisons. Moreover, the prison officers were also struggling with poor funding. In April last year, inmates angered by restrictions on family visits and the early release of 115 other inmates to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, set fire to prison on Sulawesi island. Earlier in 2020, inmates set fire to prison in Banda Aceh during a riot.

(With inputs from AP)

(Image Credit: AP/Pixabay)