Jakarta, IO – The police have questioned 16 witnesses regarding the fire in part of the National Museum building in Central Jakarta which broke out Saturday (16/9) night.
Central Jakarta Police Chief Komarudin said that it is possible that more witnesses will be questioned, per BBC Indonesia.
“We recorded statements from the security guards, employees and workers who were at the location at the time of the fire,” said Komarudin.
He said the police’s forensic laboratory team has finished examining five of the six burned rooms to figure out the cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Mahendra, acting head of the Public Services Agency for Museums and Cultural Heritage (BLU MCB), said that a joint identification team involving curators and conservators had been working to clean up the debris and salvage the artifacts. The have yet to release data on damaged collections, but promised transparency.
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He said the historical items in the room were made from wood, bronze and ceramics. But Mahendra could not confirm the quantity and classification. “To ensure that there are no mistakes, let the team go in first, because they know where it is. We will announce the results transparently,” he said.
He also credited the quick response by the fire brigade which he said was due the functioning fire alarm at the museum. (rr)