Attorney General's Office hit by fire

INDONESIA: The air conditioner and power control room at the main office of the Attorney General's Office was badly damaged by fire on Saturday, with police still investigating possibility of arson. No casualties were reported.

A security guard saw thick smoke at about 6:15 a.m. and found that the control room which is located on the second floor next to the currently vacant office for deputy attorney general, was on fire.

Fourteen fire trucks rushed to the scene and managed to put out the fire one hour later. However, fire sparked again at midday. One fire truck is now on alert inside the compound on Jl. Sultan Hasanudin, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

Firefighters and the police suspect a short circuit as the cause of the fire. The police have questioned 16 witnesses, mostly security guards on duty and employees responsible for monitoring the control room.

Office spokesman Kemas Yahya Rahman believed the fire was an accident but he doubted that a broken air conditioner could have caused the fire, "They were just installed a couple of years ago". -- JP