Cirebon police HQ blaze kills four<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least three police detectives and one
\nprisoner were killed in a raging fire that destroyed the
\ndetectives division of the Cirebon Police Headquarters on Jl.
\nRaya Winong, Arjawinangun in Cirebon, on Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The incident followed an explosion at the detectives unit at
\nabout 2 p.m. on Friday, according to National Police spokesman
\nInsp. Gen. Didi Widayadi.<\/p>\n
Didi suggested that the blast had been caused by two jerrycans
\ncontaining 20 liters of fuel, retrieved much earlier as evidence,
\nfrom a brawl.<\/p>\n
\"Officer Ngatimin was last seen smoking a cigarette. We
\nbelieve he threw the lighted cigarette toward the jerrycans. The
\nfire must have started then,\" Didi told The Jakarta Post on
\nFriday evening.<\/p>\n
Adj. Comr. Ngatimin, 40, was one of the victims. The other
\nvictims were First. Brig. Hardi Irianto, 24, Second. Pvt. Arman
\nMahfud, 23, and Mamat Rachmat, 25, who was being held in custody.<\/p>\n
At about 9 p.m., Antara reported that the death toll had risen
\nto five, identifying the fifth victim as a detective named
\nTasmat, but Didi could not confirm this.<\/p>\n
Cirebon Police chief Sr. Comr. Damanhuri confirmed on Friday
\nnight that four people, not five, had been killed in the fire.<\/p>\n
Damanhuri also confirmed that the explosion of the two
\njerrycans of fuel had caused the fire.<\/p>\n
\"The jerrycans were actually very, very old evidence. Evidence
\nfrom a brawl which occurred a long time ago. We had stored them
\nin an empty room at the detectives division. We never imagined
\nsomething like this would happen,\" Damanhuri told the Post over
\nthe phone.<\/p>\n
After the blast, the fire reportedly spread quickly and
\nfiercely and, due to a lack of fire extinguishers and personnel,
\nwas only put out two hours after it had started.<\/p>\n
In the debris, four corpses were found. They were all badly
\nburned and therefore very difficult to recognize, Damanhuri said.<\/p>\n
The corpses were taken to Gunung Jati public hospital in
\nCirebon for postmortem examinations. Following the examinations,
\nDamanhuri said, his officers would immediately prepare for the
\nburial of his men.<\/p>\n
\"If possible, the burial in Cirebon will take place on Friday
\nnight. It was a really tragic occurrence,\" he said. (ylt\/emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cirebon-police-hq-blaze-kills-four-1447893297",
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