Fire severely injures 2 brothers

Fire severely injures 2 brothers

JAKARTA (JP): Fire razed a musholla (prayer house) in Pekong,
Balaraja district, Tangerang, on Saturday night, leaving two
brothers suffering severe burns.

Muhammad Toha, 17, and his brother Nirza, 9, are being treated
separately at Tangerang General Hospital and Cipto Mangunkusumo
General Hospital in Central Jakarta respectively for severe burn
injuries.

Nirza suffered 90 degree burns, including his face. Until
Sunday evening, he was still unconscious.

His elder brother, Toha, was in a slightly better condition.

"Toha is suffering injuries to his face, legs and hands. But
he is still conscious," Udin Suadma, 25, a neighbor, said.

Udin said Toha's injuries occurred while the teenager was
attempting to rescue his younger brother from the burning
musholla.

"Toha broke down the mosque's bamboo walls as the door was
locked from the inside. Nirza was sleeping alone inside," he said
on Sunday at Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital.

Yuni, the mother of the two, said Nirza often slept in the
prayer house.

"He often slept there to avoid quarreling with his brothers
and sisters about sleeping positions," said the woman, in her
forties, of nine children.

Udin said the fire was probably triggered by a short circuit.

"The fire apparently started from a lamp that hangs from the
musholla's ceiling." said Udin.

"The musholla was constructed from flammable materials,
including wood and bamboo."

The 18-square-meter building, located a few meters away from
the two brothers' house, was usually used by Haji Taheli, the
brothers' father, for giving Koran classes to local residents.
(asa)