1,000 people left homeless after fire

1,000 people left homeless after fire

JAKARTA (JP): About 1,000 people are now homeless after a huge
fire gutted houses in the densely populated residential area in
Kartini subdistrict in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, yesterday
afternoon.

No fatalities were reported but the fire caused a tall, black
plume of smoke to rise into the capital's sky.

According to resident Hafidhin, 54, the fire started at about
3:30 p.m. in one of the houses in the neighborhood.

"I was just finishing my Azhar (afternoon) prayer when I heard
a 'click' followed by flames in a two-story house behind my
home," he told The Jakarta Post.

Central Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said the
cause of the fire, which residents blamed on a stove explosion,
was still under investigation.

The afternoon fire prompted hundreds of the residents,
particularly women, to flee in panic. Others tried desperately to
save their possessions.

Some locals, brandishing weapons, insisted the firefighters
drive their vehicles closer the scene despite the fact the narrow
alleys made maneuvering difficult.

The fire was still raging at 9 p.m. (bsr/ivy)