Chinese Tourist Qing Fangting Dies At Hotel Batam City, Police Form Joint Team To Conduct Investigation

Kasatreskrim Polresta Barelang AKP Giadi Nugraha, Wednesday (7/8/2024). (ANTARA/Laily Rahmawaty)

The Barelang Police, Batam City, Riau Islands (Kepri), formed a joint team to investigate the cause of the death of Chinese citizen Qing Fangting (QF) after being found falling from the 6th floor of a Batam City hotel. "We formed a joint handling team related to the incident of a foreigner who died at the Asialink Batu Ampar hotel," said Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit (Kasatreskrim) of the Barelang Police, AKP Giadi Nugraha in Batam, Antara, Friday, August 9. Since the incident, the case has been handled by the Batu Ampa Police with resistance by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Barelang Police. Now, the case is being handled jointly involving the Riau Islands Police, the Barelang Police and the Batu Ampar Police. The joint team is led directly by the Kasatreskrim Polresta Barelang. "So the handling is our Satreskrim assistance and the form of a joint team," said Giadi. The team is still working to reveal the cause of death of Chinese citizens, whether pure suicide or other allegations. Several parties have been questioned, including fellow victims who entered Batam at the same time. However, Giadi was reluctant to say how many witnesses were being questioned. Including from the family who are already in Batam. "Currently the team is still working, give it time, yes," he said. QF was found dead in a hotel on Saturday, August 3. The victim is known to have entered Batam through Sri Bintan Pura Port. Currently, the victim's body is still at the Bhayangkara Hospital of the Riau Islands Police, and will be repatriated to his country after the examination process of witnesses. Previously, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno expressed his concern over the death of a Chinese citizen in Batam. "Of course we are concerned about the accident that befell foreign nationals from China, this is very serious," Sandi said when met in Batam, Sunday. Sandi emphasized that the safety of tourists, be it foreign tourists and the archipelago, is a top priority for Indonesian tourism.

"The government immediately dispatched a team to ensure safety aspects, the safety of these tourists is a top priority, not only in Batam, but throughout the archipelago," he said.