South Sumatra Police Labfor Investigate Cause Of Siloam Hospital Palembang Fire

The condition of the obstetric outpatient clinic at Siloam Sriwijaya Hospital in Palembang is being investigated by the South Sumatra Police Division (Labfor) team (ANTARA/M Riezko Bima Elko P/22)

PALEMBANG - The Forensic Laboratory Team of the South Sumatra Regional Police carried out further investigations to find the cause of the fire at the Siloam Sriwijaya Hospital, POM IX Street, Ilir Barat I, Palembang.

According to ANTARA's observations at the location, the investigation had been going on for more than an hour when the Forensic Laboratory team arrived at the location at 10.38 WIB accompanied by the Palembang Police Satreskrim and the Ilir Barat I Police Criminal Investigation Unit.

The Forensic Laboratory team, which consisted of more than three people, carefully examined the fire point in the obstetrics outpatient poly room on the second floor of the Siloam Sriwijaya Hospital.

Head of the Ilir Barat I Polsek Reskirm Iptu Apriansyah at the location said that the temporary suspicion that the fire that occurred Monday, July 4 night was due to a short circuit in the transition from the generator to the PLN electricity.

When the incident occurred, almost all areas of Palembang City experienced a PLN power outage.

"The transfer of electric current from the generator to PLN triggers medical devices in the form of ultrasound to sag (melt) and a fire occurs because the ultrasound device requires a large voltage. But we are waiting for the results of the Forensic Laboratory team examination", he said.

Iptu Ariansyah ensured that there were no casualties from the fire and that the operation of medical services at the hospital had returned to normal.

Previously, the Director of Siloam Sriwijaya Hospital, Bona Fernando, said a nurse accidentally saw smoke in the outpatient poly service room, which had closed its operating hours on Monday, July 4 night around 21.00 WIB.

From this incident, nurses and hospital staff turned on the fire alarm and evacuated the patients numbering tens of people from the building.

In the evacuation process, hospital nurses prioritize critical inpatients in the ICU, including those who occupy the treatment room on the fourth and fifth floors.

Patients consisting of mothers, children, and the elderly were evacuated from the building, some of them even brought along a bed, wheelchair, and intravenous drip.

They were placed in the parking area of the hospital building adjacent to the Bumi Sriwijaya Stadium and Palembang Square Mall, after conditions were conducive at around 00.15 WIB the patients returned to their respective treatment rooms that had been prepared.

The security officer of PS Mal Okta said he heard explosions and broken glass from the second floor of the building.

"There was an explosion and broken glass", he said, after a few moments police and firefighters arrived to deal with the incident.