This archive report was first published on 8 September 2021.
On September 8, 2021, a devastating fire broke out at the Tangerang prison in Indonesia, claiming the lives of at least 41 people and leaving eight others seriously injured.
The cause of the fire, which occurred at around 1:45 a.m., is still under investigation, but the Jakarta police suspect it may have been caused by a short circuit in the prison's electrical system.
Television footage showed firefighters battling the blaze, which engulfed the prison in flames. The image of dozens of orange body bags lying on the floor of a hospital was broadcast over national television, bringing home the human toll of the tragedy.
According to Yasonna Laoly, the minister of law and human rights, the victims included an inmate involved in a terrorism case and another involved in a murder, while the rest had been imprisoned for drug-related offenses. One victim was from South Africa and another from Portugal.
Among those who died were prisoners trapped in their locked cells as the fire spread. Mr. Laoly said that the cells were locked, and some prisoners were unable to escape, resulting in 40 deaths 'on the spot,' while one died on the way to the hospital.
Prison staff members managed to unlock some cells, and 75 people were evacuated. The fire was extinguished in 90 minutes, and the prison will be reviewing its security procedures.
Mr. Laoly visited the prison on September 8 to inspect the damage and instructed staff members to focus on the recovery of the victims. He conveyed his deepest condolences for the victims, stating, 'This is a tragedy that concerns all of us.'
The Tangerang prison, built in 1972, has been grappling with overcapacity, with 2,072 inmates occupying a facility built to hold 900 prisoners. The prison's electrical system had not been updated in decades, and only 13 guards were available to monitor the entire prison population during each shift.
The fire is likely to fuel debate in Indonesia about the state of the prison system, which has been criticized for its overcrowding and poor conditions. As of March 2020, the country had roughly 270,000 inmates, more than double the system's capacity, according to data cited by Human Rights Watch.
