Sawah Besar fire kills two and destroys 31 houses

JAKARTA (JP): Two men were killed yesterday in a fire which ravaged 31 houses and left 48 families in the Sawah Besar district homeless.

The victims, identified as Hasan Basri, 40, and Kurniawan, 18, were all residents of Jl. Karang Anyar, Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta.

Sawah Besar Police Chief Maj. Iriawan said the fire was caused by an explosion of an oil stove in a house rented by a local food trader.

Police were questioning the trader's assistants, identified as Syafei and Ading, who were in the house during the incident. "The trader, Oji, was in Bogor, West Java when the fire broke out."

Eyewitnesses said Hasan Basri was killed trying to extinguish the fire, which started at 8:00 a.m.

"He was pouring water with a pail when an electric wire fell on him. He was electrocuted," eyewitnesses were quoted as saying.

The death of another victim, Kurniawan, was more tragic, said local residents.

"The second grade senior high school student tried to save his dog, trapped in the fire which razed his home," a resident said.

"Residents asked firefighters to save both the teenager and the dog. Unfortunately, the firefighters could only save the dog. Kurniawan was found dead in a bath tub after the fire was extinguished," Darman said.

Central Jakarta Fire Brigade deployed 14 fire trucks and extinguished the fire at 10:30 a.m.

"We found it difficult to find water resources in the area," Nario, a firefighter, said. "No water hydrants exist in such an area."

The densely-populated area has narrow alleys, making maneuvering difficult for the firefighters. Iriawan said the fire caused damage costing an estimated Rp 150 million.

The City Social Services Office sent sacks of rice to the Karang Anyar sub-district office yesterday to assist victims of the fire.

Meanwhile, another fire gutted Grogol Mental Hospital on Jl. Latumeten, West Jakarta yesterday. No fatalities were reported.

Sources at the West Jakarta Police Precinct said the fire began at 11:45 p.m. Sunday night and was caused by firecrackers.

"Firecrackers burned the roof of the hospital. Losses have yet to be calculated," the officer said.

Five fire trucks put out the fire at 12:30 a.m yesterday.

At least 22 fire incidents took place in the city this month, causing millions of rupiah damage. The most deadly fire occurred on Jl. Kebon Jeruk last Tuesday when two men, a mother and her child were killed. (jun/02)