Bandung hotel fire leaves three dead, 17 injured

Yuli Trisuwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, West Java

Three people, including a Spanish national, were killed on Monday while 17 others were injured and suffered breathing problems, due to a huge fire that struck Hotel Perdana Wisata on Jl. Sudirman Bandung.

The Spanish male victim was identified as Miguel Marcela, 45, a police member on duty at the United Nations Administration in East Timor who was on holiday. The two others, who are female, remain unidentified.

Some reports stated that the female victims were Korean nationals but this has yet to be confirmed by officials from the fire department.

The fire reportedly began at 4 a.m. when about 100 guests at the six-story hotel -- which has at least 160 rooms -- were still fast asleep.

A total of 15 fire engines rushed to the spot and two ladders were used to put out the fire on the hotel's fifth floor. chief of the fire department Tumpal Sirait has not yet explained the cause of the fire.

Local police suspected that short circuit might cause the fire.

A total of seven firemen sustained injuries as well while putting out the fire on the fifth floor.

A guest who requested anonymity believed the fire begun at a discotheque located on the second floor of the three-star hotel.

"The three hotel guests who died had been locked in their rooms as they were asleep ... they could not escape or be rescued in time," Tumpal said.

At least four people, including a Korean hotel guest, sustained severe body injuries after jumping out of hotel windows for fear of being burned to death.

Three of the four people were identified as Ilou Lie, Firman and Anere. The fourth person remains identified.

"The Korean hotel guest, along with other hotel guests who were injured, are receiving medical treatment at Kebonjati hospital and Hasan Sadikin Bandung hospital in Bandung. Many hotel guests were rendered unconscious due to the thick smoke rising from the fire," Tumpal said.

He added that his firemen were assisted in putting out the fire at the three-star hotel by officers of the Indonesian Airforce. "We still do not know how many people are still stuck in this hotel," Tumpal said.

He said the damage and casualties could have been avoided if the hotel management had reported the fire as soon as possible.

"We came here to evacuate people and douse the fire when it already escalated. Not to mention the hotel's dysfunctional hydrant and poor safety equipment," Tumpal said.

He said he would summon the hotel management to ask them about the absence of standardized safety equipment.

Hotel employees had tried to rescue hotel guests and suffered burns as well, along with other injuries caused by stepping on shards of broken glass.

Meanwhile, legislators of Bandar Lampung Council, who had arrived in Bandung on Sunday night for a scheduled joint study meeting on Monday at the hotel, had to evacuate along with other hotel guests following the fire. They had to leave behind all their belongings, study materials and documents they had brought with them for the meeting.

"All our plans have been canceled. How could we hold a joint study when our clothes and belongings were left behind in the hotel rooms?" Commission C head M. Irsan told reporters.

Deputy head of Commission C reportedly ran out of his room wearing a sarong, while other legislators left barefoot.