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)