Fire engulfs C. Jakarta hotel, half-naked guests flee

JAKARTA (JP): A low-cost, two-story hotel on Jl. Jatibaru, in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, was gutted by fire yesterday, forcing dozens of scantily clad guests to flee in panic.

Some of the women later took shelter at a nearby police subprecinct, where police lent them jackets to cover themselves.

Maj. Sigit TH, chief of the Tanah Abang Police subprecinct, said guests were held temporarily for questioning to help police determine the cause of the fire.

"We just asked them for information because maybe they know how the fire started," he said.

Freddy Aling, head of the Central Jakarta Fire Department, said Tirza Hotel and eleven adjoining houses were destroyed in the blaze.

No fatalities were reported and the damage bill was still being calculated.

Freddy said the fire was believed to have started in the hotel but an investigation would hopefully reveal the cause.

Seventeen fire engines were dispatched after the blaze was reported at 1:10 p.m., he said.

But only six of the 17 fire engines were able to reach the site because of the narrow roads surrounding the hotel, which was situated in front of Tanah Abang Railway Station, he said. The remaining fire engines remained on alert.

"This is a densely populated area and the houses are mostly built with flammable building materials, such as plywood," he said.

The fire took almost two hours to extinguish, Freddy said, praising the quick thinking of local residents who helped firefighters put out the blaze.

Arfan, the owner of a boardinghouse next to the hotel, said assisting the firefighters was the most sensible action he could take.

But the fire spread so quickly that Arfan did not realize his own house was being burned down and he was unable to help his wife salvage their possessions, he said.

Arfan estimated that his damage bill from the fire exceeded Rp 300 million, including his two-story house and all the household appliances, TV sets and spring beds.

"I lost all my belongings," he said.

Bensas Napitupulu, who lived behind the hotel, said that he was not concerned about the loss of property.

"I have no problem about the losses as long as my family members are safe," he said.

Yesterday's fire caused traffic congestion on surrounding roads. Some public buses and minivans, which usually pass through the area, were forced to make a U-turn under the Jatibaru Flyover. (04)