Fire razes two slum areas, 500 homeless

JAKARTA (JP): Fire broke out in two slum areas in Central Jakarta on Wednesday evening, leaving some 500 people homeless, but causing no fatalities.

The Central Jakarta Police said on Thursday they were investigating the cause of the fires.

The fire which broke out in densely populated Jl. B Raya, Karang Anyar subdistrict in Sawah Besar razed 93 two-story shanty plywood homes and a mosque.

Second Lt. Indera Gunawan said the blaze was possibly caused by a short circuit. The fire was brought under control after three hours following the deployment of 22 fire engines.

Police said some 116 families with a total of 324 people were left homeless. Local residents have set up two emergency posts in the area to accommodate the homeless.

A local resident, Buchori, said sparks were seen coming from a house belonged to Wahyat, who had not been seen since the fire.

The police were also kept busy by another fire that broke out minutes earlier at 9:15 p.m. on Jl. Citarum Atas, Cideng subdistrict, in Gambir. It levelled 21 two-story shanties.

A local resident, Rahidi, said he saw the fire start in the second story of Effendi's house which had been converted into an office.

"There was a cleaner inside the house, but the fire spread quickly because of the wind," Rahidi said.

The local emergency post recorded that about 120 people were left homeless as a result of the blaze, all of whom were given temporary shelter at a local mosque. (06)