Fire at 'Kompas' printing house

JAKARTA (JP): A fire broke out at a section of the Kompas daily's printing house yesterday morning.

At least nine fire engines were sent to the site on Jl. Palmerah Selatan, Central Jakarta, but employees and firefighters managed to contain the fire. Two rolls of newspaper sheets were damaged by water and one dust suction machine was destroyed. Only six square meters of floor space was gutted, a source at the city's Fire Department said.

The fire began at 9:43 a.m. It was extinguished within 20 minutes but burned again several minutes later and was completely put out by 10:40 a.m., said Ade, the official on duty. It was believed to have been caused by an electrical short from the dust suction machine on the first floor of the building.

An employee who sustained minor injuries was brought to a nearby clinic. Nevertheless, work was disturbed for a short while as employees of the Gramedia publishing and printing house streamed out of the building. (aan/cst)