A Night of Flames That Changed a City
Makassar, the bustling provincial capital of South Sulawesi, was engulfed in tragedy late Friday night when a massive blaze tore through a prominent government building. By dawn, three lives had been lost, and five others were hospitalized with severe injuries ranging from burns to broken bones after leaping from upper floors to escape the inferno.
Television footage captured haunting images — the provincial council building fully ablaze, the night sky burning orange as flames devoured a center of civic authority. Emergency responders worked through the night, sifting through smoke, debris, and panic, pulling bodies from the wreckage as anguished onlookers watched from the streets below.
Local disaster official Fadli Tahar confirmed the fatalities and injuries, emphasizing that rescuers moved as quickly as possible amid unpredictable structural collapses. For Makassar, a city that represents political stability and regional growth, the night’s devastation struck not only at its heart but at its sense of safety and order.
Protests and Chaos Spreading Across Indonesia
The fire in Makassar came amid a wider wave of unrest sweeping across Indonesia. In West Java’s Bandung city, protesters torched a regional parliament building, though no casualties were reported. Meanwhile, in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, demonstrators stormed police headquarters, clashing violently with security forces who responded with tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets as fireworks and wooden clubs turned the streets into battlegrounds.
The unrest stems from deep anger over perceived corruption and inequality, including the revelation of exorbitant housing allowances for lawmakers while everyday citizens battle rising living costs and job insecurity. Five days of protests have shaken the nation, each day growing larger and more volatile, with public trust in institutions eroding as violence escalates.
Fueling national outrage further was the death of 21-year-old ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan in Jakarta, reportedly struck and run over by a police armored car while he was delivering food. A video capturing the fatal incident has spread widely online, sparking fury at security forces and intensifying demands for justice.
Grief, Anger, and a Plea for Peace
Indonesia finds itself at a crossroads — grieving lives lost, questioning its leadership, and watching as civic spaces turn into war zones. Families of the victims in Makassar are left shattered, their loved ones gone in what should have been a safe public building. Survivors now lie in hospital beds, their bodies bearing burns and fractures, their minds replaying moments of terror as they leaped for their lives.
Leaders across the country now face mounting pressure to restore calm, bring justice to those killed and injured, and address the root causes of the unrest — not just with promises, but with genuine reform.
