3-year-old girl dies in a fire

3-year-old girl dies in a fire

A three-year-old girl identified as Yuni Angraini died after
suffering critical burns on Sunday evening, when a fire razed a
rented house in Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta.

The victim, who was reportedly sleeping in separate room from
her parents, was caught in the blaze that quickly engulfed the
house following the explosion of a kerosene stove.

The girl's father, Supriadi, was only aware that she had been
trapped inside the house when he did not see her with his wife,
who had already fled the house for safety. He then tried to save
his daughter but his efforts came too late, as the fire had
spread to the rest of the house.

The fire brigade reported that a fire also gutted three houses
and a storehouse of a furniture company in Cakung, East Jakarta,
on Sunday afternoon. No casualties were reported in the blaze.

The second blaze was reportedly caused by a short-circuit.

Suharso, the deputy head of the City Fire Brigade, was quoted
by Antara as saying over the weekend that there had been at least
473 fires in the city in the past seven months.

Twenty-one people were killed and 27 injured in the fires
which caused Rp 16 billion (US$7.4 million) in material losses.

Suharso said that last year there were 789 fires in the city,
causing estimated total losses of Rp 86 billion.

Short-circuits, kerosene stove explosions and improper
disposal of cigarette butts were cited as the major causes of
fires in the city. (arf)