22 killed in fire at drone company office in Jakarta, Indonesia

A fire at a drone company office in Jakarta killed 22 people and left others injured, according to local officials in Indonesia. Nearly two dozen others were rescued.

The fire was reported on Tuesday at around 12:43 p.m. local time at the PT Terra Drone Indonesia building in Central Jakarta, according to the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Department.

Fire officials said 22 people were confirmed dead, including 15 women and 7 men. Nineteen people were rescued from the building.

Jakarta Fire and Rescue said crews began firefighting operations at 12:50 p.m. and contained the spread of the fire by 1:40 p.m. Cooling operations began at 2:10 p.m., and the fire was fully extinguished at 4:55 p.m.

Police said a burning drone battery is the suspected cause of the fire, based on initial assessments. Central Jakarta Police Chief Senior Commissioner Susatyo Purnomo Condro said the National Police Forensic Laboratory is continuing to examine the scene to determine the exact cause.

Police are also investigating whether negligence or regulatory issues contributed to the incident.

Susatyo said victims were found on the building’s third, fourth, and fifth floors. Several employees escaped using an emergency route that allowed them to reach the rooftop and cross to a neighboring structure.

The PT Terra Drone Indonesia facility is part of Terra Drone Corporation, a Japan-based drone technology company.