Four-Year-Old Dies in Surabaya House Fire

A four-year-old girl died trapped by flames when a fire broke out in a two-storey house on Jalan Petemon Timur, Kupang Krajan Village, Sawahan District, Surabaya, East Java, on Monday (22/6) afternoon.

Head of the Fire Fighting Division at the Surabaya City Fire and Rescue Service (DPKP), M Rokhim, said the fire report was received at 14.17 WIB. Officers arrived at the scene five minutes later, at 14.22 WIB.

“When officers arrived at the scene, the fire was already quite large and was only burning the second floor of the house,” Rokhim said.

Rokhim stated the house was occupied by two children, identified by the initials AAS (11) and KKS (4), along with their father and grandmother. However, only the two children were at home at the time of the incident. Both children were on the second floor when the fire broke out.

The older sibling, AAS, managed to escape death by taking desperate action. Unfortunately, KKS was unable to save herself and became trapped in the blaze.

“The older sibling managed to save herself by breaking a glass window and jumping out of the burning house,” Rokhim said.

As a result of the escape, AAS suffered abrasions and shock. She received immediate medical treatment from Sawahan Community Health Centre officers at the scene until her condition was declared stable.

The DPKP deployed 10 fire engines and 5 rescue units, but their movement was hampered by a narrow alley measuring approximately 1.5 metres. Officers had to reach the fire point from a distance of about 50 metres from the position of the fire vehicles.

The fire was brought under control at 14.35 WIB, while the damping down and site security process was completed at 16.15 WIB.

“The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Several agencies were involved in handling the incident, including the Surabaya City DPKP, Surabaya City BPBD, the Police, Sawahan Community Health Centre, Satpol PP, and the North Kasuari Integrated Post,” Rokhim said.