Jakarta Firefighter Dies Battling Garbage Blaze

The Jakarta provincial government expressed deep condolences after a firefighter died battling a garbage fire in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta. Andriyono, head of the Cipayung Fire Unit, collapsed from chest pain while working to connect a hose to a water source on Saturday. He received initial medical treatment at the scene before being evacuated to Harapan Bunda Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m. local time. Officials confirmed he had a history of heart disease.

Firefighters deployed 10 units and 50 personnel to the scene after receiving a report of the fire on Saturday. While the main blaze was extinguished, efforts continued Sunday to put out remaining embers deep within the garbage pile. The fire involved a large accumulation of waste at a site that was not an official dumping ground but had become a frequent spot for illegal waste disposal.

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We convey our deepest condolences to the deceased's family and will ensure the fulfillment of the deceased's rights in accordance with applicable regulations.

Officials from the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency are working to ensure the deceased firefighter's rights are fulfilled. Meanwhile, the Jakarta Environment Agency began removing trash from areas deemed safe and unaffected by the fire. The ongoing cooling process is crucial, as the burning material can smolder beneath the surface, potentially reigniting. Firefighters are using water to reach the lower layers of the trash heap to extinguish any remaining hot spots.

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The focus of the handling right now is the fire that is under the pile of garbage. The surface may be wet, but there is still quite a lot of smoke. This indicates that there is still a potential for fire to spread up to a depth of about one to two meters.