IKN Spokesperson Dies Suddenly, Family Cites Hypertension History

Troy Harold Yohanes Pantouw, a spokesperson for Indonesia's new capital authority (IKN), was found dead in his room at the ASN 3 Tower 6 Flat complex in Nusantara City on Saturday, July 25, 2026. His colleague, Thomas Umbu Pati Tena Bolodadi, recounted the moments leading up to the discovery. According to Thomas, Pantouw was scheduled to depart for Balikpapan at 8:00 AM Central Indonesian Time (WITA) to lead a church service. He had reportedly woken up and was active as usual since 6:00 AM WITA. However, concerns arose when Pantouw's private driver repeatedly tried to contact him before his departure without receiving a response. The driver then went to Pantouw's room to check on his condition. Thomas, who lives directly opposite Pantouw's room, stated that the door was knocked and Pantouw's name was called multiple times, but there was no answer from inside. "The door was knocked and his name was called, but there was still no answer. We then decided to force open the locked door. When the door was successfully opened, he was found lying on the bed," Thomas told Antara on Saturday evening. Upon discovery, Pantouw was not breathing. His colleagues immediately took him to RS Hermina IKN for medical confirmation. According to Thomas, the medical team declared Pantouw deceased at 2:25 PM WITA after examinations. The doctors confirmed that his death was due to natural causes. "He was brought to the hospital around 12:45 PM WITA and immediately examined by the medical team. At 2:25 PM WITA, the doctors confirmed he passed away due to natural causes," he said. Initial physical examinations found no suspicious signs on Pantouw's body. The family also stated that the deceased had a history of hypertension and regularly took medication to control his blood pressure. Following administrative procedures and respects at RS Hermina IKN, Pantouw's body was flown to Jakarta and was scheduled to arrive at the funeral home on Sunday morning, July 26. Pantouw's passing has cast a shadow of grief over the IKN Authority. He was known as one of the early officials who oversaw the development of Nusantara Capital City from its initial stages, alongside the then-Head of IKN Authority, Bambang Susantono.