Rino Fajar Setiawan, Bekasi – Residents in the Jakarta suburb of Bekasi were shocked on Sunday morning when they discovered seven bodies floating in the Bekasi River, leaving police struggling to determine the cause of death.
Bekasi Metropolitan Police Chief Dani Hamdani confirmed that the victims were all young men, but none of them had identification on them.
"Initial investigations revealed no visible signs of physical injuries on the bodies," Dani said. "The remains have been sent to Kramat Jati Police Hospital for identification, and we are also gathering information from residents near the location where the bodies were found."
A witness suggested that the men may have died while attempting to evade a police pursuit by jumping into the river, but Dani stressed that the authorities needed to verify the claim.
He said no family members have reported anyone missing as of this afternoon.
A local resident, Bagus, claimed he saw a group of teenage boys running from the police and jumping into the river near the Pondok Gede Permai housing complex in Jatiasih District.
"They were possibly trying to avoid getting caught by the police, maybe because they were planning a gang fight. They panicked and jumped into the river," Bagus said.
According to Bagus, at least six other boys who couldn't swim managed to hide from the police with his assistance.