KFC outlet caught fire in Makassar

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: Fast food retailer Kentucky Fried Chicken's (KFC) outlet in Makassar was gutted by fire on Tuesday, but no fatalities were reported.

An explosion was heard during the fire, causing panic among local residents and passersby in the area, but a police officer dismissed fears that the explosion was caused by a bomb.

After a preliminary investigation, Sr. Comr. Andi Nurman Thahir, a spokesman for the South Sulawesi Provincial Police, said that the fire was caused either by an electrical short- circuit or the explosion of a tank of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stored in the outlet's kitchen. -- JP