JAKARTA, INDONESIA – A fire tore through a seven-story office building in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday, killing at least 22 people, including a pregnant woman, police reported. Thick black smoke filled the sky as flames spread rapidly, sending nearby workers and residents into panic in the Central Jakarta neighborhood of Kemayoran.
The blaze, believed to have started around midday on the building’s first floor, reportedly began in a storage and testing area where drone batteries were kept. Witnesses said a sparking battery may have triggered the fire. Hundreds of personnel and 29 fire trucks were deployed, and it took firefighters three hours to bring the fire under control.
At least 22 bodies—seven men and 15 women—were recovered and taken to a police hospital for identification. Survivors described chaotic scenes as some employees on upper floors fled to the rooftop, calling for help. Firefighters used emergency ladders to rescue more than a dozen trapped workers, many struggling to breathe in the thick smoke. Authorities said most victims died from smoke inhalation, while at least 19 others were rescued, some with minor injuries, though many were traumatized.
Police continue to investigate the fire’s cause, with a short circuit or thermal failure in a drone battery suspected. Firefighters are still monitoring the building as smoke lingers, and authorities warned the death toll could rise. Families waited anxiously at hospitals and near the PT Terra Drone Indonesia office, which provides drone technology for sectors including construction, mining, energy, and urban planning.