Jakarta (ANTARA) - At least 817 historical objects were impacted by a fire that broke out at the National Museum on Saturday (September 16), the National Museum's Acting Head of Museum and Cultural Properties, Ahmad Mahendra, stated.
"The affected collections and historical objects are either made of bronze, ceramics, terracotta, and wood or miniatures and replicas of prehistoric objects that were found intact or lightly to severely damaged," Mahendra noted here on Tuesday.
He explained that out of the 194 thousand historical objects stored in the National Museum, 817 were impacted by the inferno.
Mahendra noted that after the fire broke out, his side has taken several steps and actions, such as forming an investigation and evacuation team and closing the affected rooms.
Meanwhile, the historical objects had been gradually evacuated, he remarked.
"We have started the process of evacuating collections from the affected areas to the temporary storage room," he remarked.
According to Mahendra, the police helped evacuate the collections of historical objects.
His side also conducted an inventory to ensure that every historical object was recorded accurately and will receive the necessary treatment during this recovery period.
He explained that heavy equipment and specific techniques were required to remove the damaged roof of the burned building.
"The process of evacuating historical collections and artifacts from Building A of the National Museum went smoothly and was carried out very carefully," he revealed.
The National Museum deployed 100 people to salvage a large number of valuable and historical artifacts inside Building A by involving the Forensic Laboratory Center.
The National Museum also formed a team to identify the affected cultural properties.
"An identification team consisting of curators and conservators has been formed too," Mahendra stated.
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