Major fire engulfs high-rise Jakarta building
A major fire tore through the upper floors of Jakarta's Abdul Muis Technical Service Building, triggering a large emergency response in the Indonesian capital.
Footage showed flames engulfing the upper section of the building as burning debris fell to the ground.
"Earlier, at around 10 am, I was looking from the street, and I saw what looked like orange flames on the top floor of this building," one resident said.
Another witness described seeing the fire intensify as debris began falling.
"What I saw was that the fire had started to die down; it suddenly grew larger from inside this side of the building. Some debris fell from above. I think the fire may have weakened the structure, causing some of the debris to fall," the resident said.
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The fire spread from the 11th to the 16th floors, according to Jakarta authorities. Strong winds complicated firefighting efforts and caused the flames to flare up again.
A renovation worker trapped on the 15th floor was rescued and taken to Tarakan Regional General Hospital for treatment. No deaths were reported.
Jakarta's fire and rescue service initially deployed 37 fire units and 185 personnel, supported by three Bronto Skylift aerial vehicles. A later update increased the response to 40 units and 200 personnel.
The fire was brought under control after roughly four hours of firefighting. Crews then carried out cooling operations and inspections for remaining hotspots.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
