Short circuit at House causes scare

JAKARTA: Thick smoke billowing from a room on the ground floor of the House of Representatives sparked a panic among officials there on Monday.

Nugroho, a security guard, said the incident occurred at about 7:15 a.m., just one day before House leaders hold a consultative meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to discuss post- tsunami issues in Aceh.

House secretary-general Faisal Djamal said the smoke resulted from a short circuit in the building.

Faisal said the House's electrical network needed to be repaired soon to prevent similar incidents, adding that the network had only been partially renovated since the building's construction in 1963. -- JP