Office building fire in Indonesian capital leaves 22 dead

Hundreds of personnel and 29 fire appliances were deployed to try to contain the blaze in Jakarta.

A fire has ripped through an office building in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, killing at least 22 people including a pregnant woman.

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

The fire, which broke out around midday on Tuesday, is believed to have started on the first floor of the building in the Kemayoran district before spreading to other floors, Central Jakarta police chief Susatyo Purnomo Condro said.

Hundreds of personnel and 29 fire appliances were deployed to try to contain the blaze. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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