Fires kill seven, leave hundreds homeless

Fires kill seven, leave hundreds homeless

Suherdjoko and Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post/Semarang/Makassar

Fires destroyed dozens of houses in Semarang and Makassar on
Thursday, killing seven people and leaving hundreds of others
homeless.

In the Central Java capital of Semarang, a fire believed to
have been caused by a short circuit razed three shop-houses at
dawn on Thursday, killing six people, including three members of
the same family, after it took the fire department three hours to
respond to the blaze.

The six people killed were identified as Tjin Peng Lok, 66,
his wife, Lie Ing Swie, 62, their daughter, Nanik Lita Pranoto,
25, and Wiwin, 22, Jum, 21, and Ning, 23, all maids.

All of the bodies were found in the bathroom, where they
apparently succumbed to the smoke. The sole survivor was Peng
Yan, Peng Lok's younger brother and neighbor, who was able to
make it out of his house.

Witness Abdul Kadir Djalil, 56, said he first saw the flames
at about 2 a.m and quickly alerted his neighbors on Jl. Kiai
Saleh. They tried in vain to put out the blaze and rescue those
trapped inside the burning houses.

Firefighters did not arrive at the scene until 5 a.m. It is
not known why it took the fire department three hours to respond.

City officials visited the scene of the blaze later on
Thursday morning, including Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen.
Chaerul Rasyid and Semarang Mayor Sukawi Sutarip.

"The preliminary investigation indicates the fire was probably
sparked by a short circuit," said Chaerul.

The last fire in densely populated Semarang city took place on
July 29, when Yanto Wibowo and his wife, Caroline, died when
their shop-house on Jl. Wahid Hasyim was razed.

In the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, a fire destroyed
dozens of houses and one church, killing an unidentified boy. The
fire also drove some 450 residents of Jl. Laiya and Jl.
Pa'jenekang out of their homes.

The fire is believed to have started in a house owned by a
local resident identified as Anis. The house was being rented by
a merchant identified as Mary. Residents suspect the fire was
caused by a stove explosion in the house.

Jalawiyah, a local resident, said strong winds quickly spread
the fire to nearby houses.

The Makassar Fire Department battled the blaze for nearly
three hours, putting out the fire at about 2:30 p.m. Firefighters
combing the area found the remains of a small boy who is thought
to have perished in one of the razed houses.