Fire kills four in Medan

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Four people were killed as fire ravaged their auto parts store on Jl. Ahmad Yani in Tanjung Balai regency on Wednesday.

Police identified the fatalities as Hendra alias Lim Gulling, 11, Lay Chi Peng alias Buruk, 80, Tong Min Mi, 17, and Lie Hua, 40.

Only the body of Lim Gulling had been evacuated as of Wednesday afternoon.

It took fire fighters four hours to put out the fire, which started at 2:00 a.m. and caused part of the shop to collapse.

An eyewitness said that fire engines arrived after most of the building had been engulfed by flames.

"We do not know yet what caused the fire," said chief of Tanjung Balai police, Lt. Col. Deny S.N. Nasution. (39/sur)