Catering Business in Kedungmundu, Semarang Destroyed by Fire, Suspected Gas Leak
A catering business located on Jalan Gemah Sari Raya XII, Kedungmundu Village, Tembalang District, Semarang City, Central Java, was completely destroyed by fire on Tuesday (18/8) morning. The incident is strongly suspected to have been triggered by a leak in the regulator of an LPG cylinder while cooking activities were underway.
The incident occurred when local residents were startled by flames that suddenly erupted from the 7 x 10 metre building. Several catering employees were seen scrambling out to save themselves as the fire began to spread throughout the premises.
Local residents attempted to extinguish the fire manually. However, the blaze quickly grew and engulfed a car parked on the veranda of the building, which served as the main kitchen. Concerned that the fire might spread to the densely populated surrounding neighbourhood, residents immediately contacted the Semarang City Fire and Rescue Service (Damkar).
“The fire grew very quickly. We were worried it would spread to other buildings on either side of the catering business,” said Rachmat, one of the residents at the scene.
Amin, another resident, said the fire occurred at around 06.00 WIB. Although the exact cause is still under investigation, several employees reported that the fire appeared suddenly during the cooking process. “The fire is suspected to have been triggered by a leak in the LPG cylinder regulator,” he added.
Head of the Operations and Rescue Division of the Semarang City Fire and Rescue Service, Tantri Pradono, explained that his office received the first report at 06.20 WIB. Ten minutes later, 25 personnel with five fire engines were deployed to the scene.
Based on information gathered by officers, the fire first appeared from the LPG regulator hose. Sparks then ignited a pile of cardboard food boxes, causing the fire to rapidly consume most of the building along with the kitchen equipment inside.
“Officers immediately carried out firefighting operations and contained the fire to prevent it from spreading to adjacent buildings. After 1.5 hours of handling, the fire was finally brought under control at around 07.44,” explained Tantri Pradono. Officers are currently still carrying out cooling operations at the site to ensure no remaining hotspots.
As a result of the incident, the 70 square metre building was completely gutted. Although no casualties were reported, material losses are estimated to be substantial, including damage to the rear of a car parked in the catering business area.