Fire razes shops

Fire razes shops

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: Fire razed a three story Rita
supermarket and several adjacent shops on Jl. Kol. Suprapto here
on Friday morning. No one was injured in the blaze which caused
an estimated Rp 5 billion (US$595,000) in material losses.

Eight fire engines rushed to the location, but the fire had
already spread throughout the building and to other shops because
the firefighters had difficult access to the area.

Sumiyati, a street vendor who was about to open her food stall
at 5:30 a.m., said she saw fire came out of the supermarket's
basement.

The supermarket owner, Buntoro, said he might have to let go
his 500 staff as it would take some time to rebuild the
supermarket.

Banyumas Police Precinct chief Supt. Imam Basuki said the
police was still investigating the cause of the fire.

"We assumed that the fire was triggered by an electrical short
circuit as witnesses said they saw the fire came from the
basement where the electricity panel was located," he said.
(45/lup)