 |
| A mixed-use building in Jakarta partly collapsed, injuring at least two |
A five-storey building in Jakarta partly collapsed Monday morning, injuring at least two people who were taken to hospital, authorities said.
TV images
showed about half the building on Jakarta's western side had caved in with
concrete and other debris lying on the road. Rescue officials were seen
carrying people out on stretchers.
The
structure is a mixed residential-commercial space with a convenience store on
the ground floor and small rental units on the upper floors.
"The
upper floors of the building were empty, while the second floor was a warehouse
and a place for employees to rest," West Jakarta police chief Audie Latuheru
told reporters.
"The
employees ran away when they heard creaking sounds. The two injured people were
outside of the building when the accident happened," he added.
Indonesia's
national search and rescue agency said three people were injured.
Initial
media reports said eight people were wounded, but police later said that figure
included those evacuated from the building.
It was not
immediately clear what caused the accident or if it was connected to the
flooding sparked by torrential rain in the capital region last week that left
more than 60 people dead.
The search
and rescue agency said it appeared that the downpours may have played a role.
"We
found evidence of flooding on the rooftop and the third and fourth floors had
no water drainage system," said Budi Purnama, national operations director
for Indonesia's search and rescue agency.
 |
Map of
Indonesia locating Jakarta where a five-storey building partly collapsed
on
Monday
|
"Water
had seeped through the walls... the structure couldn't hold it any
longer."
Police and
eyewitness said the accident started shortly after 9:00 am local time (0200
GMT).
"The
building just suddenly collapsed," eyewitness Ridwan Ria told AFP.
"There
was a thundering noise and it happened very quickly. In seconds the building
had collapsed.
"There
was no sound or weird noise beforehand," the 60-year-old shop owner added.
Another
witness said there was water dripping from the ceiling of the building's shop
on Sunday.
"I
noticed since yesterday that something was wrong," the witness, identified
as Juni, told local TV.
"I
went to the store yesterday and saw the place was damp with water dripping from
the ceiling."
Police told
AFP that another witness, identified as a convenience store employee, said the
building had started leaning to one side two years ago.
Lax
construction standards have raised widespread concerns about building safety in
Indonesia.
In 2018, a
group of teenagers practising for a dance and music show were among seven
killed when the building they were in collapsed in Cirebon, east of Jakarta.
The same
year, at least 75 people were injured when a mezzanine floor at Indonesia's
stock exchange building in Jakarta collapsed into the lobby.
No comments:
Post a Comment