Old woman found dead in Mangga Dua fire

JAKARTA (JP): The charred remains of a 60-year-old woman were found in a house in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, after the house was gutted by fire Sunday.

Than Nyuk Mei's body was found in the bathroom by her son. She was the only casualty of the fire which destroyed 217 homes on Jl. Budi Rahayu in Mangga Dua Selatan subdistrict.

Two other people were slightly injured. Sawah Besar deputy district head Rustam Effendi said 2,180 people were made homeless by the fire.

The late woman's son, Than Kwei Jie, 32, who lives in Kemayoran, said yesterday his ailing mother lived alone in the two-story house. Neighbors did not realize she had died in the fire until her body was discovered.

"When I learned of the fire from television, I immediately rushed to the scene only to find the house gutted and my mother nowhere to be seen," he said.

"When I tried to clean up and look for my mother, I found her burned body facedown in the bathroom." He said he could still recognize her.

He said she had been sick for a long time and used a walking stick. "I guess she panicked and couldn't find a way out," he said

Than said his mother's body was at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's morgue.

"We are waiting for our father, who lives in Surabaya, to arrive," he added.

The fire started at noon and firefighters arrived an hour later. Angry residents vented their frustration at the delay by smashing windows of nearby shop-houses.

Rustam Effendi said the Indonesian Red Cross had provided free food and clothing for those affected by the fire.

"We will continue to provide aid for them as long as they need," he said.

Some residents spent the night in relatives' homes while others slept in tents set up nearby by the Red Cross.

Isah, a resident, said she had no idea what she and her 10- member family were going to do.

"Right now, we're going to erect a temporary shelter, so we can spend the nights here. Then we'll decide what to do next," she said with tears streaming down her face.

Another resident, Dedi Suhardadi, said he was relatively lucky because he and his family had many relatives who were willing to take them in. He said his house had been insured.

Some residents still rummaged in the area.

"I'm hoping to find some nails to build a new temporary house," an old man said.

Four women said they would rebuild their houses if they were legally permitted. Rustam said Mayor Abdul Kahfi had not visited the scene. Residents said there had been rumors that houses in the area were going to be demolished. (12)