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

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)