Six killed in restaurant fire

BANDUNG (JP): Sukamto, alias Hans, a seafood restaurant owner, died here yesterday morning with five of his employees in a fire that gutted his restaurant on Jl. Setiabudi.

Another worker, Suyatno, saved himself by running out through the fire which is believed to have been started by an exploding kerosene stove.

Suyatno, 20, is in the Hasan Sadikin Hospital intensive care unit. The bodies of the six are in the morgue awaiting postmortem examination.

One of those who died was a female worker, 15-year-old Lestari. Sugianto, Parimin, Sartono and Sugiatman also died in the fire; they had been living with Hans at the Sari Nikmat restaurant in Gegerkalong subdistrict, Sukasari.

Suyatno said that he and Sugianto had lit the kerosene stove to cook rice for their breakfast while the others were still sleeping in rooms adjoining the kitchen.

Sugianto went back to bed, but Suyatno went to another room to begin dusting.

He heard an explosion and screamed to wake the others. Only after a second explosion did he hear that they were awake and panicking. By this time the building was already enveloped in thick smoke and flames, he said.

Firefighters put out the fire in about two hours.

Sukasari police station chief Capt. T. Kustandi said the West Bandung police precinct were investigating the incident. (43)