A devastating house fire in Bantaeng Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Tuesday claimed the lives of three family members – a 60-year-old woman and two children, ages 10 and 3 – highlighting growing concerns about the safety of rapidly adopted personal technologies. Preliminary investigations indicate the blaze originated with an exploding electric scooter, raising questions about battery stability and fire prevention protocols for these devices. Authorities are investigating the incident, which caused an estimated Rp100 million in damages, as the community mourns the loss and seeks answers.
“Yes, there are three victims of the fire: a 60-year-old woman, a 10-year-old boy, and a 3-year-old girl,” said the head of the Satpol PP and Fire Department, Jaemuddin, on Wednesday, November 26.
The blaze, believed to have been sparked by an exploding electric scooter, began around 6:57 p.m. local time.
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“The incident resulted in one house being burned down, allegedly due to an explosion of an electric scooter,” Jaemuddin stated.
According to Jaemuddin, the explosion ignited the flames, prompting nearby residents to attempt to extinguish the fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene and worked for approximately two hours to fully contain the blaze.
“We deployed four fire trucks to the location to put out the fire. After the fire was extinguished, the three victims were found deceased,” he explained.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
“The estimated loss from the fire is Rp100 million,” Jaemuddin added.
(mir/dal)
