A fire broke out at a data center building in the Kabil area of Nongsa, Batam, Indonesia, on Tuesday, November 10, according to local news reports. Police investigations and eyewitness accounts indicate that the fire was caused by welding activities on the top floor of the building, where wind carried sparks that caught a tarp or tent material.
The data center was believed to be developed by a joint collaboration between PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (Telkom) through its data center arm PT Telkom Data Ekosistem (NeutraDC) with Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd (Huawei).
The fire started at about 9am and was successfully extinguished. Police confirmed there were no casualties or significant property damage.
The incident occurred amid broader local tensions and ongoing debates surrounding the rapid expansion of AI and data center infrastructure on Batam Island, which has recently faced public protests complaining about water shortages.