52 feared dead in nightclub inferno<\/p>\n
Agencies, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Police using explosives blew a hole in a nightclub wall to
\nallow desperate patrons to escape a raging fire that killed up to
\n52 people in South Sumatra provincial capital of palembang,
\nofficials said Monday.<\/p>\n
Some people leapt to their deaths from the top of the five-
\nstory nightclub Heppi Karaoke in Palembang as flames engulfed the
\nroof, local police spokesman Capt. Arum Prioyono told Associated
\nPress.<\/p>\n
The blaze started late Sunday and is believed to have been
\ncaused by a faulty electrical installation. Firefighters
\nextinguished the fire on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Rescuers searching through the rubble have retrieved 52
\nbodies, said Rudi, a fire brigade official.<\/p>\n
Police said they could confirm only 42 deaths. But Lt. Tikno
\nof the Palembang police force said he believed more bodies
\nremained in the burned-out building.<\/p>\n
The death toll could have been higher had the police not used
\nexplosive charges to blast open the wall on the upper floor.<\/p>\n
\"There may be around 30 more charred bodies on the upper
\nfloor. We will smash anything in our way to reach those victims,
\njust like we bombed our way in yesterday,\" Bastoni, head of the
\nPalembang fire department, said.<\/p>\n
Officials blamed poor safety measures behind the death of
\nthose 52 people.<\/p>\n
Capt. Arum said the karaoke bar had no proper fire exits.<\/p>\n
Officials said many of victims were trapped on the upper
\nfloors. There was no other way out except the stairway through
\nwhich to enter these floors.<\/p>\n
The absence of alternative entrances and highly inflammable
\nmaterial decorating the building, slowed firefighters' rescue
\nefforts.<\/p>\n
\"That building had neither emergency exits nor stairs. No
\npreparations for a fire at all. That place should not be there in
\nthe first place,\" Bastoni said.<\/p>\n
The Heppi Karaoke consisted of different bars and restaurants
\non all five floors. Although located in one of Palembang's
\nbusiest shopping areas, firefighters were able to prevent the
\nfire spreading to nearby stores.<\/p>\n
Police officials said they had detained the manager of the
\nnightclub. Its owner, however, was still at large.<\/p>\n
The fire marked Palembang's worst fire in five years. In 1998,
\na fire at the Megahria store killed 17 people.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta in 1999, a fire ravaged a theater and killed 14
\npeople, including two Norwegian nationals.<\/p>\n
In Central China, a disco fire killed 304 people on Christmas
\nnight in 2000 for which the authorities have jailed 23 people for
\nup to 13 years.<\/p>\n
A year earlier, one of Mexico City's most popular nightclubs
\ncaught fire, killing 20 people. Patrons were prevented from
\nleaving the burning building by disco personnel who insisted they
\npay their bills first.<\/p>",
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