The Witness's Story During The Seconds Of The Fire At The National Museum: Security Even Asked Where The Fire And Water Had Come Out Small

Photo: Rizky Sulistio/VOI

JAKARTA - A great fire that scorched 6 rooms where historical objects were collected at Building A, the National Museum of Indonesia, Central Jakarta, is still a puzzle.

From the data compiled by VOI, a fire in Block A building, the exhibition room for the collection of the National Museum of Indonesia was reported to have occurred at 20.00 WIB on Saturday night, September 16.

Based on the testimony of one of the eyewitnesses to the incident, Muhamad Safri, a mobile coffee trader who usually hangs around the Indonesian National Museum, he knows there was a fire at around 19.50 WIB.

"I saw that there was a very high black smoke. I ran here (National Museum). I ran to walk to the hotspot, here I help - help. There are still few people. It's already on fire, the fire is very big. I help here, around 8 o'clock less than 10 minutes," Safri told VOI, Sunday, September 17.

When Safri arrived at the National Museum where the fire occurred, Safri intended to help (help with water).

"I ran here with the intention of zero. I came here still quiet. I arrived at 8 less than 10 minutes (at 19.50 WIB). But the fire was big and the smoke was black. The fire had not yet arrived," he said.

Meanwhile, continued Safri, the Museum security also admitted that he was shocked. Safri explained that the security museum on duty did not seem to know that there was a fire.

"Securities were also shocked, security asked where (the fire) was. About half an hour I was at the location of the fire to help drain using a hose, I helped spray it. The water was small, but the building was already burning heavily," he recalled.

Then as many as 14 fire engines were deployed to the fire site at around 20.09 WIB. The fire was successfully localized by firefighters at around 20.40 WIB.

After many firefighters arrived at the fire location, Safri then prepared to leave the fire location.

"At 9 pm (21.00 WIB) passed, I went home, the fire was small (it was extinguished)," he said.

Furthermore, at 21.47 WIB, Gulkarmar officers carried out the process of cooling the fire. The firefighters just completed the fire extinguishing operation on Sunday, September 17, early in the morning at around 00.15 WIB.

In the fire incident report, firefighters suspected that the cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit from behind outside the museum exhibition.

The fire is thought to be from the area with the rest area of the construction workers who are making repairs (renovation) of building C.

The fire incident began to be known by the security of the Museum which was carrying out an apple. According to data belonging to the Central Jakarta Gulkarmat Sub-dept., based on witness testimony, at around 19:58 WIB there was a fairly large explosion from the direction of the project that was working on renovations at the National Museum.

However, from Safri's confession, when he learned that there was a fire at the same time, at around 19:50 WIB, he did not hear the sound of an explosion from the location of the fire. But he only heard the sound of a fire rising into the air.

"There was only the sound of smoke bursts up. I don't know (don't hear the explosion). Only the fire is round up (coupling into the air)," he said.

Then the alarm of the Museum building went off. Security officers then checked, it turned out that the fire had grown. Meanwhile, the area burned was 20 x 20 meters.

Meanwhile, according to information from the Central Jakarta Metro Police, the police received a fire report since 19.45 WIB. From the results of the crime scene, the police also did not find any elements of the work made by the workers on Saturday night.

"We received a report at 8 o'clock, at around 19.45 to 20.00 WIB. At that hour there was no work on the inside. The workers were on the outside," said Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief, Kombes Komarudin.

However, the police gathered 14 eyewitnesses to the fire-related incident. The examination of a number of witnesses to match the information related to the fire incident that occurred.

"We also built an integrated post at the National Museum," he said.