A total of 22 people were confirmed dead after a fire broke out at the Terra Drone office building in central Jakarta on Tuesday, local authorities said.
The fire occurred in a commercial office building. The flames were extinguished hours later and the area has now been cordoned off.
According to preliminary reports, the fire is believed to have started on the first floor, possibly caused by a drone battery that caught fire and exploded in a storage and testing area, and the fire quickly spread to the sixth floor of the building.
Police said that employees in the building tried to extinguish the flames, but the fire spread rapidly. At the time of the incident, most employees in the building were taking a break and became trapped by the fire.
Among the 22 confirmed fatalities, seven are male and 15 are female including a pregnant woman.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire began around noon on Tuesday and was fully extinguished by approximately 17:00. The incident triggered severe traffic congestion on several nearby roads.
Authorities are currently conducting a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire.
"Preliminary information suggests that the fire was caused by a drone battery. However, the specific reason for the battery's catching fire still requires further investigation. We are working to pinpoint the exact origin of the fire and will further examine whether negligence played a role or if responsibility lies with another party," said Police Commissioner Susatyo Purnomo Condro, central Jakarta police chief.
Office building fire kills at least 22 in Indonesian capital
A group of Japanese people took to the street in Tokyo on Thursday, demanding Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks concerning China's Taiwan region and opposing her plan to expand the military.
At a Diet meeting on Nov 7, Takaichi claimed that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and implied the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, which has immediately sparked strong criticism at home and abroad.
Some protesters gathering near the National Diet Building were holding placards against Takaichi regime's efforts to incite war and promote xenophobia, while others read "smash military buildup budget," as Takaichi's blatant interference into China's internal affairs seems to be part of her attempt to lift Japan's military restrictions using the so-called external threats as an excuse.
"The China-Japan Joint Statement has already confirmed the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. Japan once invaded and occupied Taiwan for 50 years. Is Japan to repeat the disastrous policy? It's the Japanese people's responsibility to prevent that from happening," said a protester.
"Japan did invade China and killed many Chinese people in history. Instead of soul-searching, the Japanese government is seeking to do it again. This must not be allowed," said another protester.
In late November, the Japanese government approved a supplementary budget proposal for fiscal 2025 (April 2025-March 2026), boosting defense spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) ahead of schedule.
Japan's accelerated increase in defense spending and remilitarization attempts over the past few years have raised widespread concerns and opposition and reignited doubts about the country's future direction.
"The Constitution says armed forces 'will never be maintained,' yet Japan has self-defense forces now. This is self-contradictory. In nature it's no different from the situation before the end of the war," said another protester.
Japanese rally against PM, military buildup
