A devastating fire ripped through a seven-storey office building in central Jakarta on Tuesday, killing at least 20 people and prompting a large-scale rescue and evacuation operation. The blaze broke out around midday on the building’s first floor and quickly spread upward, according to the head of Central Jakarta police, Susatyo Purnomo Condro.
The building housed Terra Drone Indonesia, the Indonesian subsidiary of a Japanese drone-services firm. Many employees were reportedly having lunch when the fire began, while others had briefly stepped away — complicating the situation as flames and thick smoke rapidly engulfed multiple floors.
Firefighters and rescue teams evacuated workers using ladders and carried bodies out of the building, while efforts to cool the structure and search for survivors continued into the afternoon.
Authorities have yet to confirm an official cause. Preliminary reports suggest the fire may have started with an explosion — possibly a battery on the first floor — but investigations are ongoing.
As the city reels from the tragedy, emergency services remain on high alert, and the focus is now on identifying victims and ensuring no one remains trapped inside.
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