A week after a deadly fire engulfed the Swallow sandal factory in West Jakarta, Kalideres Police questioned the company management over allegations it was arson.
Kalideres police chief detective Second. Insp. Herru S.Y. said his investigators had questioned the company's two employers on Friday, Mike John and Kodiran, about how the fire had started.
"Both witnesses said they had seen dark smoke billowing from a pile of chemical substances in the factory's warehouse," Herru, who is leading the investigation, told The Jakarta Post.
"Suddenly a fire broke out, forcing them to run away immediately."
Herru said the police had summoned the owner of the factory for questioning, but the main person he wanted to question was overseas receiving medical treatment.
"But it's OK, we still can start our investigation by questioning workers and other employers responsible for safety at the factory," he said, adding that another questioning session would be held on Saturday.
The fire broke out at the factory last Thursday afternoon, and killed at least four people.
The firefighting agency needed almost a week to extinguish the fire, which it claimed was "the most difficult blaze it had handled in 91 years" because a chemical spill under the rubble had sustained the flames.
Earlier this week, the agency claimed the lack of a fire prevention system at the factory had made the blaze deadly.
"When the fire broke out, the only emergency door in the factory was locked, making it nearly impossible for workers to evacuate quickly," fire chief Paimin Napitupulu said.
"It is also suspected that most of fire extinguishers were actually out of order."
Paimin said the police had to "follow up" the case since it was clear that the management of the factory had neglected safety obligations. The police, however, insisted they did not want to speculate until they completed forensic investigations.
"It is too soon to solely blame the management for the *fire*," Herru said.
PT Sinar Jaya Prakarsa, the company which had run the Swallow sandal factory, employed 1,175 workers. More than a half were contract workers.
- JP/Hasyim Widhiarto
