Fire guts 250 houses

JAKARTA (JP): A fire has gutted 250 houses on Jl. Bandengan Utara, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, leaving 1,562 people, or 400 families, homeless. No fatalities were reported.

A firefighter with the North Jakarta Fire department, Kusmadi, said the fire started on Saturday at 9:55 a.m. and quickly spread through the slum because of strong winds.

"Firefighters also had difficulties in extinguishing the fire due to a low water supply in the area," he said.

The fire also gutted an elementary-school building and a high- school building, he said.

He said the students of the two schools were asked to leave the building when the fire was gutting the building.

Residents and firefighters worked together to extinguish the fire using anything they could, he said.

He said the fire department deployed 19 fire engines and extinguished the fire by 3:10 p.m.

Kusmadi said the fire was caused by a kerosene stove explosion in one of the houses.

He said the fire caused an estimated Rp 500 million (US$166,666) in material losses.

He said residents were now sheltered in tents in nearby areas and mosques.

Also on Saturday, another fire destroyed three shops on Jl. Agus Salim, Bekasi, and killed a man, who is still unidentified.

The man was trapped in one of the shops.

The fire started at 9 a.m. and was claimed to have been caused by a short circuit.

Bekasi's fire department deployed eight fire engines and extinguished the fire in two hours. (jun)