January worst month ever for fire deaths

January worst month ever for fire deaths

JAKARTA (JP): The city fire agency's monthly evaluation has
found this month to be the worst on record for fire victims with
six people killed and one injured.

Fire department records show this was the first time six
people had died in a month.

"Sixty-three fire accidents were recorded during the month and
the total damage loss was estimated at Rp 6 billion (US$2.5
million)," agency chief Suharso said.

The victims of January's fire were residents of Taman Sari
area in West Jakarta, and the nearby Sawah Besar district.

Four out of the six Taman Sari victims were killed in a fire
which gutted a four-story shop/house on Jan. 7. The building
housed a home garment producing factory, he said.

A mother and her baby were among the victims of the fire which
was caused by a short circuit, Suharso said.

Two men were killed in the Sawah Besar fire.

"The fire, which was caused by the explosion of a kerosene
stove, razed 31 houses and left 48 families homeless," he said.

"January's fire included the ones which hit the popular Pasar
Baru Shopping Center and old Tanah Abang market place in Central
Jakarta, " he said.

The fire at Tanah Abang on Jan. 27 followed a clash between
street vendors and city public order officers.

A district head's office and seven security officers' cars
were burnt.

Official estimation of losses from the Tanah Abang riot and
fire was Rp 1 billion, he said.

On the same day, the major shopping center at Pasar Baru was
also hit by fire. More than 300 shops were razed.

Most of the shops were in the Harco Plaza and the King Plaza
shopping centers.

Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi said losses from the Pasar
Baru fire were about Rp 2 billion.

Suharso said 38 of January's fires were caused by short
circuits.

"The rest were caused by, among other things, kerosene stove
explosions," he added.

Suharso said last year fire burnt down 5,474 houses, leaving
25,912 people homeless.

He said 413 of last year's fires were caused by short circuits
and 87 by stove explosions.

Last year 17 people were killed and 64 injured in fires here.
The total loss caused by the 723 fires in 1996 was Rp 61.9
billion.

Suharso said last year's most serious fire happened during the
mass riot on July 27 in which several public buildings were
damaged.

Suharso said Jakarta had 2,601 firefighters, 158 fire engines
and 559 fire hydrants.

"The city needs 13,000 hydrants, one every 200 meters, in
order to cover the city's 65 hectares, Suharso said". (ste)