Police puts Bogor death toll at 10

Police puts Bogor death toll at 10

BOGOR, West Java (JP): Police and forensic experts concluded yesterday that the number of victims in last Thursday's fire at the Kebon Kacang market here was only 10.

"This is the final result of a series of police investigations and forensic examinations," Bogor Police Chief Col. Dadang Garnida said.

He was accompanied by Bogor Military Commander Col. Eddi Budiyanto and police scientists from the National Police Forensic Laboratory Center.

The final conclusion was the same as that announced a day earlier by a team of 12 forensic experts from the University of Indonesia, Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital and Bogor's Red Cross Hospital.

The official announcement is expected to end the controversy on the number of victims, which was earlier reported by almost all media as being at least 76.

Town mayor Eddy Gunardi was the first to mention, two days after the fire, that there were only 10 victims. A day earlier, he incorrectly said that 11 bodies were found after the fire. The other one "was a cat," he later said.

In a similar conclusion to those of the experts from the university and the two hospitals, Maj. Tunggono, one of the police forensic experts, said that only 10 human bodies were found in the plastic bags collected from the debris.

"But there was no cat at all," Tunggono said.

The other bags sent to the Red Cross Hospital contained only non-human remains, such as plastic, wood, glass and steel, Tunggono said.

A statement released by the Bogor Police yesterday identified the victims, aged between 19 and 25, as Nurhasanah, Nurpadia, Ucih Rustini, Yose Anggraeni, Partini, Yanti Hudayanti, Atik Kartika, Sarinah, Muslimah and Eliah.

The fire last Thursday morning was believed to have started on the site of the 2.6-hectare Ramayana Department Store located on the top floor of the three-story Kebon Kacang market building, which is operated by a company owned by the local administration.

The 10 victims, all of whom were female, were Ramayana employees.

Besides razing the department store, the fire also burned and destroyed thousands of small kiosks on the other floors, and all their owners' merchandise.

Data shows that the market, previously called Pasar Anyar, has burned down almost every 10 years, since 1956.

The Bogor police have yet to blame anyone for the fire or the deaths.

"Our investigation is still on-going," Dadang said, adding that there would be more than one suspect.

"We're looking at the case from several angles and have to investigate whether there was a poor security system, emergency system, electricity system or if the management was at fault. Manipulation and corruption might have caused the fire," he said.

Dadang promised to question all parties involved, including the head of the market company, Lt. Col. Alamsyah.

However, police sources said that at least seven men from Ramayana could be named as the parties most responsible for causing the disaster.

"One of the local Ramayana executives knew the presence of his employees when the fire broke out but failed to report it to the police or the fire fighters," a police source cited.

Data collected by The Jakarta Post at the Bogor Police station stated that the seven people, including Ramayana executives and security officers, are identified as Iman Pranoto, Eko Supriyadi, Andi S., Misran, Rohim, Muksin and Sylvi.

Iman is the Ramayana regional manager, Eko is the manager of the department store and Rohim was one of the on-duty security officers.

"We promise to be clean and professional in handling the case," he said. (bsr)