Fire guts 300 houses in Bandung<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): Fire gutted more than 300 houses in a densely
\npopulated area in Central Bandung on Wednesday night. There were
\nno casualties, according to preliminary report.<\/p>\n
Two other fires in other parts of the town occurring
\nsimultaneously stretched the city's fire fighting capacity to the
\nlimit and is blamed partly for the inability to contain the
\nspread of the fire near the Braga shopping center area.<\/p>\n
"All my officers were sent out to work tonight," said
\nSwastedjo, chief of the city fire office, who was running the
\noperation in Braga. The other two fires occurred in Sitimunigar
\nand Ujungberung.<\/p>\n
A total of 11 fire trucks were sent to Braga and together they
\ntook more than five hours to extinguish the blaze, according to
\nwitnesses.<\/p>\n
Some 400 residents, mostly tenants who are shop assistants in
\nlocal shops, barely had time to save their belongings as the fire
\nspread quickly, they said.<\/p>\n
All the shops in the Braga area were spared from the blaze.
\nTheir owners quickly pulled down the shutters at the earliest
\nsign of fire. The narrow Cikapundung stream which divides the
\nshops and the housing area helped in containing the fire although
\nit was virtually dry because of the severe dry season.<\/p>\n
Displaced people gathered along the Braga street, watching
\nhelplessly as fire consumed their houses and their belongings.<\/p>\n
A lucky few managed to save some of their possessions which
\nwere scattered on the street.<\/p>\n
"This is all I could carry. The rest is gone," said 27-year
\nold Sumarni. (pet\/emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fire-guts-300-houses-in-bandung-1447893297",
"image": ""
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