A 14-year-old Boy Dies By Tengkurap In His Room Who Is Gosong Dilap Si Jago Merah

The fire hit three houses on Yuka Street, Sepinggan Village, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan (Kaltim), Thursday, August 24. One child became the victim was declared dead.

The victim, named EPI, 14 years old, was found lying face down in her burning room.

"We estimate that the victim is trapped in the room," said the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the South Balikpapan Police, Inspector of Police One (Iptu) Saragih, in Balikpapan, Thursday, August 24, confiscated by Antara.

"We evacuated the victim's body to Bhayangkara Hospital," he continued.

From the residents' narrative, EPI is known to be a child with special needs. He has autism.

When the disaster occurred, the presence of EPI was only remembered after the fire was successfully extinguished at around 09.30 WITA. A mother said to the officer that there was one child who was not seen among the survivors, nor was he seen since the beginning of the incident at 08.30 WITA.

"Maybe it was still in the room," he said.

The officers immediately checked the rubble that was still schemed here and there. Before long, they also found a body, face down, and could not be immediately recognized. However, from the location of the discovery, namely in the rubble of his family's house and in the former part of his room, it is believed that the body is EPI.

The cries of a number of residents broke out. 'Innalillahi waina waina wajiun, O Allah,...' said another mother.

This fire scorched three houses. One of the houses is a boarding house with eleven rooms. EPI's house is one of two houses that are not boarding houses.

On that occasion, the Head of the Balikpapan Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Usman Ali said he received the initial report of the incident at around 08.30 WITA.

"Given the location in densely populated settlements, we have deployed 12 units," said Ali.

Because Yuka Street is only about three meters wide, fire trucks do not enter near the fire. Officers connected the hose to fight the red rooster. The fire was also surrounded from various sides. A number of water tanker trucks were also deployed by BPBD.

Not coincidentally, that morning at Sepinggan Airport which was not far from the location of the fire, personnel were gathered who would conduct joint exercises in the face of an emergency. No doubt, some of the personnel, especially firefighters, immediately turned right and rushed to the location. Including the Disaster Response Team Battalion A Pioneer of the Satbrimob Polda East Kalimantan who helped the community extinguish the fire and evacuate valuables belonging to the residents.