Cirebon police HQ blaze kills four

JAKARTA (JP): At least three police detectives and one prisoner were killed in a raging fire that destroyed the detectives division of the Cirebon Police Headquarters on Jl. Raya Winong, Arjawinangun in Cirebon, on Friday afternoon.

The incident followed an explosion at the detectives unit at about 2 p.m. on Friday, according to National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi.

Didi suggested that the blast had been caused by two jerrycans containing 20 liters of fuel, retrieved much earlier as evidence, from a brawl.

"Officer Ngatimin was last seen smoking a cigarette. We believe he threw the lighted cigarette toward the jerrycans. The fire must have started then," Didi told The Jakarta Post on Friday evening.

Adj. Comr. Ngatimin, 40, was one of the victims. The other victims were First. Brig. Hardi Irianto, 24, Second. Pvt. Arman Mahfud, 23, and Mamat Rachmat, 25, who was being held in custody.

At about 9 p.m., Antara reported that the death toll had risen to five, identifying the fifth victim as a detective named Tasmat, but Didi could not confirm this.

Cirebon Police chief Sr. Comr. Damanhuri confirmed on Friday night that four people, not five, had been killed in the fire.

Damanhuri also confirmed that the explosion of the two jerrycans of fuel had caused the fire.

"The jerrycans were actually very, very old evidence. Evidence from a brawl which occurred a long time ago. We had stored them in an empty room at the detectives division. We never imagined something like this would happen," Damanhuri told the Post over the phone.

After the blast, the fire reportedly spread quickly and fiercely and, due to a lack of fire extinguishers and personnel, was only put out two hours after it had started.

In the debris, four corpses were found. They were all badly burned and therefore very difficult to recognize, Damanhuri said.

The corpses were taken to Gunung Jati public hospital in Cirebon for postmortem examinations. Following the examinations, Damanhuri said, his officers would immediately prepare for the burial of his men.

"If possible, the burial in Cirebon will take place on Friday night. It was a really tragic occurrence," he said. (ylt/emf)