24-10-2024 (JAKARTA) A potentially catastrophic situation was averted on Thursday morning when a tourist bus carrying 58 kindergarten pupils caught fire on the Wiyoto Wiyono Toll Road in East Jakarta’s Jatinegara district.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 10:12 local time, was promptly reported to emergency services. According to East Jakarta Fire and Rescue Sub-department Operations Chief Abdul Wahid, the blaze is believed to have originated from an electrical fault in the vehicle’s air conditioning system.
“Initial investigations suggest that sparks from beneath the air conditioning unit ignited the engine compartment, causing the fire to rapidly spread,” Wahid explained.
Emergency services responded swiftly, dispatching three fire engines and 13 firefighting personnel to the scene. The fire was successfully contained within 24 minutes.
In what officials are describing as a fortunate outcome, all 58 children and two adults aboard the vehicle were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported. “We can confirm that all 60 occupants were safely removed from the vehicle,” Wahid stated.
