Bandung hotel fire leaves three dead, 17 injured<\/p>\n
Yuli Trisuwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, West Java<\/p>\n
Three people, including a Spanish national, were killed on Monday
\nwhile 17 others were injured and suffered breathing problems, due
\nto a huge fire that struck Hotel Perdana Wisata on Jl. Sudirman
\nBandung.<\/p>\n
The Spanish male victim was identified as Miguel Marcela, 45,
\na police member on duty at the United Nations Administration in
\nEast Timor who was on holiday. The two others, who are female,
\nremain unidentified.<\/p>\n
Some reports stated that the female victims were Korean
\nnationals but this has yet to be confirmed by officials from the
\nfire department.<\/p>\n
The fire reportedly began at 4 a.m. when about 100 guests at
\nthe six-story hotel -- which has at least 160 rooms -- were still
\nfast asleep.<\/p>\n
A total of 15 fire engines rushed to the spot and two ladders
\nwere used to put out the fire on the hotel's fifth floor. chief
\nof the fire department Tumpal Sirait has not yet explained the
\ncause of the fire.<\/p>\n
Local police suspected that short circuit might cause the
\nfire.<\/p>\n
A total of seven firemen sustained injuries as well while
\nputting out the fire on the fifth floor.<\/p>\n
A guest who requested anonymity believed the fire begun at a
\ndiscotheque located on the second floor of the three-star hotel.<\/p>\n
"The three hotel guests who died had been locked in their
\nrooms as they were asleep ... they could not escape or be rescued
\nin time," Tumpal said.<\/p>\n
At least four people, including a Korean hotel guest,
\nsustained severe body injuries after jumping out of hotel windows
\nfor fear of being burned to death.<\/p>\n
Three of the four people were identified as Ilou Lie, Firman
\nand Anere. The fourth person remains identified.<\/p>\n
"The Korean hotel guest, along with other hotel guests who
\nwere injured, are receiving medical treatment at Kebonjati
\nhospital and Hasan Sadikin Bandung hospital in Bandung. Many
\nhotel guests were rendered unconscious due to the thick smoke
\nrising from the fire," Tumpal said.<\/p>\n
He added that his firemen were assisted in putting out the
\nfire at the three-star hotel by officers of the Indonesian
\nAirforce. "We still do not know how many people are still stuck
\nin this hotel," Tumpal said.<\/p>\n
He said the damage and casualties could have been avoided if
\nthe hotel management had reported the fire as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
"We came here to evacuate people and douse the fire when it
\nalready escalated. Not to mention the hotel's dysfunctional
\nhydrant and poor safety equipment," Tumpal said.<\/p>\n
He said he would summon the hotel management to ask them about
\nthe absence of standardized safety equipment.<\/p>\n
Hotel employees had tried to rescue hotel guests and suffered
\nburns as well, along with other injuries caused by stepping on
\nshards of broken glass.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, legislators of Bandar Lampung Council, who had
\narrived in Bandung on Sunday night for a scheduled joint study
\nmeeting on Monday at the hotel, had to evacuate along with other
\nhotel guests following the fire. They had to leave behind all
\ntheir belongings, study materials and documents they had brought
\nwith them for the meeting.<\/p>\n
"All our plans have been canceled. How could we hold a joint
\nstudy when our clothes and belongings were left behind in the
\nhotel rooms?" Commission C head M. Irsan told reporters.<\/p>\n
Deputy head of Commission C reportedly ran out of his room
\nwearing a sarong, while other legislators left barefoot.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bandung-hotel-fire-leaves-three-dead-17-injured-1447893297",
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