Fires raze homes, four killed<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Amid the prolonged dry season buffeted by high temperatures,
\ntwo fires razed dozens of homes on Monday in two separate areas
\nin East and Central Jakarta. Four fatalities were reported,
\nincluding an eight-month-old baby.<\/p>\n
The first fire destroyed a home in Cakung, East Jakarta right
\nafter midnight or early on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Fara, an eight-month-old baby along with three other adult
\noccupants, Gendi, 20, Agung, 43, and Mimin, 60, were trapped and
\nburned to death at the scene. Their bodies were taken to Cipto
\nMangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta. Two other
\noccupants, Gilang and Arya managed to escape.<\/p>\n
Police were still investigating the cause of the fire.<\/p>\n
The fire was the third fire in Greater Jakarta which has
\nclaimed lives this year. In addition to those casualties, seven
\npeople have died during fires since the new year.<\/p>\n
A family of three died in a fire which gutted a house in
\nKampung Sewan Kebon, Neglasari, Tangerang, while another fire
\nrazed a silk-screening plant in Griya Harapan Permai, Bekasi
\nresulting in the deaths of four employees.<\/p>\n
City fire brigade agency reported that this month alone 38
\nfires were reported across the capital.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a massive blaze also devastated dozens of homes on
\nMonday in Kebon Melati, behind Hotel Indonesia in Central
\nJakarta, which were mostly made of wooden materials.<\/p>\n
The fire spread rapidly fanned by strong winds and combustible
\nmaterials, razing more than 30 houses in neighborhood units 01,
\n02 and 03 and leaving dozens of families homeless.<\/p>\n
The fire started from a boarding house owned by a resident
\nnamed Slamet.<\/p>\n
Eyewitness Suhermanto who is also head of neighborhood unit 01
\nsaid the fire was possibly caused by a kerosene stove left
\nunattended inside a room on the second floor of the house.<\/p>\n
"The house was left unlocked and empty when I entered the
\npremises. Seeing that the fire had almost burned the whole
\nbuilding, I ran out to seek help. Then, I heard a blast possibly
\nfrom the exploding stove," said Suhermanto.<\/p>\n
Only a few residents were at home when the fire razed the area
\nas most of the inhabitants were at work. Few people managed to
\nsave their belongings.<\/p>\n
"I woke up when I saw thick, dark smoke coming out of the
\nsecond floor. It was about 11 o'clock. But, the fire was too huge
\nto put out," sighed another eyewitness, Eni Saman whose house was
\ntotally destroyed by the fire. Eni only managed to save her
\nchildren. All her belongings were destroyed in the fire.<\/p>\n
Dozens of residents desperately attempted to extinguish the
\nblaze with plastic buckets before the firefighters arrived at the
\nscene.<\/p>\n
Panicking residents clashed with firefighters due to late
\narrival of the fire trucks. Fortunately, some police officers
\ncalmed them down.<\/p>\n
Head of the city firefighter brigade's operational division, M
\nIshak said that 21 fire trucks had been used to put out the fire.<\/p>\n
Narrow access to the crowded area, thick smoke, and the
\nstrength of the blaze owing to the strong winds, hampered the
\nfirefighters efforts to extinguish the blaze.<\/p>\n
Amid the chaos, an unidentified man was mobbed by residents as
\nhe was found attempting to steal their belongings.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fires-raze-homes-four-killed-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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