Fire damages Ora Et Labora School

JAKARTA: A fire badly damaged Ora Et Labora School, one of the oldest in the capital, located on Jl. Cisadane in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Saturday night. No fatalities were reported in the fire.

Six fire trucks from the nearby Taman Ismail Marzuki fire station were deployed to extinguish the fire, which gutted the third and fourth floors of the school building.

"It's very likely that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. The fire is now being investigated by police," said Yogi, one of the firemen.

The fire started at about 11:30 p.m. Fortunately, the school is located on a relatively wide and quiet street, providing easy access for the fire trucks. The fire was extinguished an hour later.

Jakarta has seen many fires during the wet season. In January, at least three fires took place in the city, burning down hundreds of houses in densely populated areas. The fires were caused by either short circuits or exploding kerosene stoves. -- JP