Fire destroys Hero supermarket in Mampang

JAKARTA (JP): A fire believed to have started in a cool storage area razed the Hero supermarket on Jl. Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta, in the wee hours of yesterday.

No casualties were reported in the blaze, but the one-story supermarket, which was renovated six months ago, was totally destroyed.

Both police and the owner of the retail outlet have yet to disclose the amount of financial losses but the figure is estimated to reach hundreds of millions of rupiah.

Eyewitnesses said that the fire, which began at 12:30 a.m. at a meat cooler inside the supermarket, was put out three hours later by firemen.

Police have questioned an executive and four security guards of the outlet in connection with the blaze.

"Based on preliminary questioning, the security guards admitted to having seen the fire inside the building but failing to put the blaze out as none of the supermarket's doors were open," said Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar, a spokesman for City Police.

When asked whether the police found any indications of possible arson, Latief remained tightlipped.

"No comment," he said.

The National Police has sent a team from the Forensic Laboratory Center to investigate the blaze, the second affecting a retail outlet in the city in the past three weeks. On Aug. 30 a fire gutted a four-story market housing the Matahari department store in Cipulir, South Jakarta.

The Cipulir fire caused financial losses of more than Rp 30 billion. (bsr)