Six die in house blaze

TANGERANG (JP): Six family members died when their two-story house on Jl. Leo Baru, Batu Sari, was gutted in a fire early on Sunday morning, a police official said.

Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto said the fire started at 2 a.m., when the family was asleep.

"They died because they were trapped inside the house. The only survivor was the housekeeper, identified as Enny, who managed to get out of the house," Pudji said.

"Four of the victims were found inside two bathrooms and the other two in the living room," he said.

The victims were M. Manurung, 56, and R. Pasaribu, 51, their children -- Edison, 27, Maryati, 25, and Sumiyati, 24 -- and Sinta, 27, Edison's wife, who was four months pregnant.

Another family member, Betty, is studying in Australia.

Police are still investigating the cause of the fire.

"Probably the fire came from the stove in the kitchen," he said.

"But, none of the neighbors heard an explosion from the house."

Enny told police that she was in the kitchen when the fire started to engulf the house.

"Enny screamed to wake everybody before she ran out of the house," Pudji said.

"She could not say who lit the stove at two in the morning. But she suspects it was Mrs. Manurung."

The family woke up and tried to get out of the house, but failed as the fire was too big. Manurung and his wife tried to save themselves by going into the bathroom on the first floor, where the officers found them.

Edison and his wife, whose bedroom was on the second floor, tried to do the same. While Maryati and Sumiyati died in the living room on the first floor.

The fire was put out after four fire-fighting units prevented it from spreading to neighboring houses after a two-hour effort.

Enny, meanwhile, is being detained by Tangerang Police as she is the only witness in the incident. (04/41)