Six killed in restaurant fire

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)