Poor safety measures turned karaoke bar into fire trap<\/p>\n
Agencies
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Officials blamed poor safety measures behind the death of at
\nleast 20 people in a fire at a karaoke bar in Palembang, South
\nSumatra, where police had to blast a hole in the club's wall to
\nlet patrons out.<\/p>\n
They said the death toll was likely higher, as firefighters
\nstill searched for bodies inside the five-store nightclub, Heppi
\nKaraoke, which burned down on Sunday night.<\/p>\n
\"We think there won't be any survivors left,\" local police
\nspokesman Capt. Arum Priyono was quoted as saying by Reuters.<\/p>\n
He said the karaoke bar had no proper fire exits. And although
\nthe cause of the fire was unknown as yet, Arum said it might have
\nbeen a faulty electrical installation.<\/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
As flames began to engulf the roof, some of the victims jumped
\nto their deaths. Others were burned alive or suffocated.<\/p>\n
Seventy firefighters aided by fire units from the nearby
\nfertilizer producer PT Pusri had put out the fire by 2 a.m.
\nMonday morning.<\/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, head of the Palembang fire department,
\nsaid.<\/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 said.<\/p>\n
Capt. Arum said parts of the building was still too hot to
\nenter but expected to find only bodies by now.<\/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. In Yogyakarta in
\n1999, a fire ravaged a theater and killed 14 people, including
\ntwo 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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