Fire kills one at narcotics penitentiary

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

An exploding gas stove caused a fire at the Cipinang Narcotics Penitentiary in East Jakarta on Saturday, causing the death of one inmate and injuring four others.

The fire is believed to have started at 8:40 a.m. in the jail's kitchen and was only extinguished some 45 minutes later.

Inmate Asep Jauhari, 22, from Sumur Batu, Kemayoran in Central Jakarta, died in the fire, while four other inmates -- Tohiri, 27, from Tambora, West Jakarta; Syaiful Bahri, 30, from Koja, North Jakarta; Budi Sukarlin, 29, from Cengkareng Timur, West Jakarta; and Robi bin Matsuri, 26, from Rawabadak Utara, North Jakarta -- are still being treated at the Persahabatan Hospital in East Jakarta.

Head of the Cipinang Narcotics Penitentiary, Bambang Krisbanu, said that the fire started when some 13 inmates were preparing breakfast at about 6 a.m. in the 20 meter by 30 meter kitchen.

At about 8:40 a.m. an explosion was heard followed by two other explosions that immediately engulfed the kitchen in flames.

Eyewitnesses say that the explosions came from a gas canister supplying gas to the stove.

"The blaze spread to the kitchen walls and not long after the whole kitchen was on fire," Bambang said.

Bambang said that it was probable that the five inmates caught in the fire were furthest away from the exit and were unable to escape.

He said that it was the first time such an incident had happened in his 30 years of working in the penitentiary, and that a new kitchen would be built as soon as possible.

"For the moment, we have erected an emergency kitchen to feed the 1,063 inmates in the jail," Bambang explained.