Fire razes furniture workshop

JAKARTA (JP): Fire burned down yesterday a furniture workshop on Jl. Raya Cipondoh 89, Tangerang. No casualties were reported.

Seven fire engines were deployed to fight the blaze which started around 4:30 a.m. and was put out by 1 p.m.

Yusef, a member of the Tangerang Fire Department, said it took a long time to completely extinguish the flames because of the large amount of wood stacked at the 3,000-square-meter workshop.

"The fire, which was believed to be caused by a short circuit, caused the owner Rp 500 million (US$204,918) in financial losses," Yusef said.

The manufacturer of the furniture for export, PT Pustika Purindo, was owned by a Korean, said Yusef.

Meanwhile, fire also razed a garment factory at the Cakung Small Industry Complex, East Jakarta, Sunday morning.

A electric short circuit was also suspected as the cause of the eight-hour fire, which also destroyed 200 sewing machines and clothes. Luckily the 200 workers were on holiday. (cst)