Poor safety measures turned karaoke bar into fire trap
Poor safety measures turned karaoke bar into fire trap
Agencies
Jakarta
Officials blamed poor safety measures behind the death of at
least 20 people in a fire at a karaoke bar in Palembang, South
Sumatra, where police had to blast a hole in the club's wall to
let patrons out.
They said the death toll was likely higher, as firefighters
still searched for bodies inside the five-store nightclub, Heppi
Karaoke, which burned down on Sunday night.
"We think there won't be any survivors left," local police
spokesman Capt. Arum Priyono was quoted as saying by Reuters.
He said the karaoke bar had no proper fire exits. And although
the cause of the fire was unknown as yet, Arum said it might have
been a faulty electrical installation.
Officials said many of victims were trapped on the upper
floors. There was no other way out except the stairway through
which to enter these floors.
As flames began to engulf the roof, some of the victims jumped
to their deaths. Others were burned alive or suffocated.
Seventy firefighters aided by fire units from the nearby
fertilizer producer PT Pusri had put out the fire by 2 a.m.
Monday morning.
The absence of alternative entrances and highly inflammable
material decorating the building, slowed firefighters' rescue
efforts.
"That building had neither emergency exits nor stairs. No
preparations for a fire at all. That place should not be there in
the first place," Bastoni, head of the Palembang fire department,
said.
The death toll could have been higher had the police not used
explosive charges to blast open the wall on the upper floor.
"There may be around 30 more charred bodies on the upper
floor. We will smash anything in our way to reach those victims,
just like we bombed our way in yesterday," Bastoni said.
Capt. Arum said parts of the building was still too hot to
enter but expected to find only bodies by now.
The Heppi Karaoke consisted of different bars and restaurants
on all five floors. Although located in one of Palembang's
busiest shopping areas, firefighters were able to prevent the
fire spreading to nearby stores.
Police officials said they had detained the manager of the
nightclub. Its owner, however, was still at large.
The fire marked Palembang's worst fire in five years. In 1998,
a fire at the Megahria store killed 17 people. In Yogyakarta in
1999, a fire ravaged a theater and killed 14 people, including
two Norwegian nationals.
In Central China, a disco fire killed 304 people on Christmas
night in 2000 for which the authorities have jailed 23 people for
up to 13 years.
A year earlier, one of Mexico City's most popular nightclubs
caught fire, killing 20 people. Patrons were prevented from
leaving the burning building by disco personnel who insisted they
pay their bills first.