Jakarta Office Building Fire Kills At Least 22

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – A fire tore through an office building in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday, killing at least 22 people, including a pregnant woman, police said.

Flames engulfed the seven-story building, sending thick black smoke into the sky and causing panic among nearby residents and workers in central Jakarta.

The fire,which started around midday,is believed to have begun on the frist floor in the Kemayoran neighborhood before spreading to other floors,according to Central Jakarta police chief Susatyo Purnomo Condro.

Hundreds of personnel and 29 fire trucks worked to put out the blaze. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Many workers in the building, which was used as a sales and storage office for a drone company, were at lunch when a battery sparked in a storage and testing area, Condro said, based on witness accounts.

the fire was put out after three hours.at least 22 bodies – seven men and 15 women, including a pregnant woman – were recovered and taken to the police hospital in East Jakarta for identification.

Intan Puspita, a resident whose home is near the building, told The associated Press that the fire began with a loud bang and workers ran outside.