Shoe factory catches fire

SERANG, West Java: Shoe factory PT Nikomas Gemilang, which employs about 8,000 workers, caught fire on Sunday, leaving one employee wounded and causing untold damage.

Witnesses said the fire started in the factory canteen in the early hours following an explosion of a kerosene tank.

The fire spread rapidly, burning furniture in the kitchen, Antara reported. The injured employee was rushed to the hospital with a serious burn injury.

The factory, which is being expanded with a total investment of Rp 2 trillion (US$925 million), has a shoddy fire control system, the report said.(pan)