This incident should be a lesson for stakeholders to be more concerned and better prepared for any situation that could occur.
By
Erika Kurnia/Melati Mewangi/Fransiskus Wisnu Wardhana Dhany/Stefanus Ato
·5 minutes read
Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan
Families of fire victims at the Class 1 Penitentiary, Tangerang, Banten, headed to the Police Hospital for DNA testing samples, Wednesday (8/9/2021). A total of 41 inmates were killed, 8 seriously injured, and 74 minor injuries due to a fire that occurred in the prison on Wednesday (8/9/2021).
Tears streamed down the face of the 44-year-old Upi Hartati as she left a waiting room at Tangerang Penitentiary in Banten on Wednesday afternoon (8/9/2021).
“My son is one of the 41 inmates who died. Last night, we were speaking on the phone. He had just asked me to send him phone credit," she said.
It was difficult for her to accept the death if her first child, RK (23), who had been sentenced to five years and six months in prison for a drug offense. She had hoped that, after he was released from prison, RK would continue his education and resume selling Padang food in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.
After presenting their family card and other identity documents, Upi and her husband walked towards the motorcycle parking lot. This time, the eyes of Upi\'s husband Nursin (47) turned red. He cried, angry and sad at the same time. Nursin regretted the disaster and wondered how it could happen in a prison that should be a safe place for its inmates.
"What was the cause of the fire? Is it true that there was an electric short circuit? I hope they can find out soon and will not let it happen again. Enough. This is the last [time],” he said, taking a deep breath.
Upi, Nursin, and the families of the other inmates who were killed in the fire had traveled to Sukanto Police Hospital in Kramatjati, East Jakarta, where the bodies of the 41 victims had been sent. At the hospital, the National Police\'s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) unit identified the victims with burns covering more than 50 percent of their body before the bodies were handed over to their families.
KOMPAS/STEFANUS ATO
Officers of the Kramat Jati Police Hospital, East Jakarta, evacuated the bodies of victims of the Tangerang prison fire, Banten, on Wednesday (8/9/2021) afternoon.
Titin, a woman in her 50s, had been trying to push through the police barricade when the bodies of the fire victims arrived at the hospital. The police asking her to stand back only made her more hysterical. "I was sure I would still be able to recognize my child," the South Jakarta resident said referring to her son, Eka Putra (25).
Eka was among the inmates who were killed in the Tangerang prison fire. On Tuesday evening, she had spoken to her son by WhatsApp video call. Eka had complained that he was bored in prison. He wanted to come home and see his family.
Eka had been incarcerated at Tangerang Penitentiary since 2017 for a drug offense, and was due to be released in February 2022, five months from now.
The situation in the emergency room of Tangerang Regency General Hospital was equally heartbreaking on Wednesday, when it was filled with burn patients.
On one of the emergency beds was a patient fitted with a breathing apparatus. Part of the patient\'s body was covered with a blanket. His upper body was wrapped in white bandages. His skin looked darkened from the fire. "Thirsty. Thirsty. Thirsty,” he repeated in a weak voice.
Many people wandered through the emergency room, trying to find family members. D (43), the elder sister of burn victim TY (40), waited anxiously along with four other relatives. The Tangerang resident was worried about her brother’s condition after she was informed that he was among the fire victims.
TY had served nearly four years of his sentence for a drug offense. In December, TY would have breathed free air once again. “I had just decided to go there [the prison] to take care of the documents for his release. Instead, the fire occurred," said D, who declined to give her full name.
According to the emergency room doctor, TY had burns over 50 percent of his body and had developed a respiratory problem.
ANTARA FOTO/HANDOUT
Condition of cellblock C2 after the fire in Tangerang Prison, Banten, Wednesday (8/9/2021).
No visits
The president director of Tangerang Regency Hospital, Naniek Isnaini Lestari, said that families were not allowed to visit patients with serious injuries in keeping with the Covid-19 health protocols.
"We will communicate intensely with the families to provide them with information on the patient\'s progress," Naniek told reporters at the hospital.
Eight victims with serious burns had been admitted to the intensive care unit. The victims were all male Indonesian citizens, aged between 27 and 51, and had suffered burns covering 3.5 percent to 98 percent of their bodies. The majority had also developed respiratory problems from smoke inhalation.
Apart from TY, the other fire victims at the hospital are H (42), NA (34), T (45), AM (29), IS (27), M (44), and HR (51).
The life of every person, no matter who they are, is precious.
The fire occurred in cellblock C of the prison, which housed 122 inmates. Out of these, 27 inmates had mild injuries, eight inmates had seriously injuries, and 41 inmates were killed in the fire.
The fatal victims had allegedly been killed because they were trapped in a locked cell. The blaze, which Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly believed was caused by an electrical short, quickly spread through the prison. The roof of the 40-year-old building had collapsed, making it even more difficult to evacuate the prison. At the time of the fire, the prison complex held 2,072 inmates, far greater than its capacity of 600 inmates.
This incident should be a lesson for stakeholders to be more concerned and better prepared for any situation that could occur. The life of every person, no matter who they are, is precious.
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.
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