Police question fire witnesses

Police question fire witnesses

JAKARTA: Police said on Sunday that they were currently
questioning several witnesses of a fire that killed five people
and burned down 34 houses in Kali Anyar, Tambora, West Jakarta
early on Saturday.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said that police
officers had not yet determined the cause and the source of the
fire or whether or not it was an act of arson.

"We know the fire came from a rented house in the area. We
have questioned the owner. However, we haven't declared suspects
in the case as we still gathering more evidence," he said.

According to several witnesses, the fire started from a rented
house belonging to a local resident identified as Timu, and
spread to 34 other houses in the neighborhood. At least 300
people lost their homes because of the fire.

Police said earlier that based on a preliminary examination a
short circuit in one of the rooms in the rented house may have
caused the fire. --JP