Seven people have been reported as victims in two separate fatal incidents in North Sumatra and West Sumatra following a large-scale power outage that affected parts of Sumatra Island, with four confirmed dead and three others receiving medical treatment in hospital.
The tragic incidents occurred amid a widespread blackout that disrupted electricity supply across multiple regions, forcing residents and businesses to rely on backup generators, which authorities believe played a central role in the fatal carbon monoxide poisoning cases.
In Batubara Regency, North Sumatra, two employees of a mobile accessories store were found dead inside a shop house on Saturday (23 May), in what police suspect was caused by toxic fumes from a generator used during the blackout.
Air Putih Police Chief AKP Rahmat R. Hutagaol said the incident took place at a shop house in Indrapura ACC, Lingkungan III, Indrapura Village, Air Putih District. The case came to light around 12:30 p.m. local time when co-workers arrived to open the store but received no response from inside.
“When they arrived at the location, the shop house was still closed and there was no response from inside,” Rahmat said on Sunday (24 May).
According to police, the workers attempted to contact the occupants by phone, but received no answer. Growing suspicious due to the lack of activity, colleagues later forced open the door with the help of local residents.
“After the door was opened, four people were found inside a room in critical condition. Two were already dead, while the other two were unconscious,” he added.
The deceased were identified by their initials as RR (24), a resident of Tebing Tinggi City, and AA (22), from Serdang Bedagai Regency. Two survivors, M (22) and DCA (17), were rushed to Bidadari Regional Hospital for emergency treatment.
Authorities said all four victims were evacuated to hospital, while an investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of death. However, initial findings point to carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator used during the blackout.
“Preliminary suspicion indicates carbon monoxide poisoning from generator fumes used during the power outage,” Rahmat said.
A similar tragedy occurred in West Sumatra, where three teenagers in X Koto District, Tanah Datar Regency, were poisoned by carbon monoxide gas emitted from a mosque generator during the same blackout period.
Two of the victims, identified as GA (15) and HAK (15), were pronounced dead, while a third victim, H (16), remains in critical condition and is undergoing intensive medical treatment. The three were students from different schools.
“When the lights went out, the children gathered and played together. Their phone batteries ran out, so they asked to turn on the generator,” X Koto Police Chief Iptu Martheriko said, as quoted by local media.
The incident occurred on Friday (22 May) at around 6:40 p.m. local time. A group of teenagers had gathered and later requested permission to use a generator in the mosque’s secretariat room to charge their mobile phones at around 9:00 p.m.
Martheriko explained that initially five people were in the room, but two left earlier, while the three victims stayed behind and slept in a closed back room of the mosque without proper ventilation.
“The generator was operated in a closed room without ventilation. Carbon monoxide gas is odorless and colorless, so the victims were unaware of the danger,” he said.
The victims were only discovered unconscious on Saturday morning (23 May) at around 5:30 a.m. by the mother of one of the teenagers, who went to wake them up. Residents immediately evacuated them to Ibnu Sina Yarsi Islamic Hospital in Padang Panjang.
The incidents occurred against the backdrop of a major blackout that affected several regions across Sumatra Island starting Friday (22 May), disrupting daily life, transportation services, offices, and households.
The widespread outage forced many residents to rely on portable generators, highlighting the dangers of improper use in enclosed spaces without adequate ventilation.
Authorities are continuing investigations into both incidents, while urging the public to exercise caution when using generators during power outages, particularly in confined indoor environments where carbon monoxide exposure can be fatal.
