Telkom building catches fire

SEMARANG: The three-story building housing the Central Java headquarters of state-owned telecommunications company PT Telkom was gutted by fire yesterday.

Six fire brigades were sent to the blaze on Jl. Pahlawan in the provincial capital, Antara reported. The firefighters could do little because the fire had already engulfed the building, according to the news agency.

No casualties were reported.

A day earlier, the eighth floor of a partially-completed building adjacent to the Telkom building was damaged by fire.

Yesterday's fire was first spotted on the first floor. It quickly spread to the rest of the building.

Telkom employees managed to save some vital equipment but most of it was destroyed by the fire, according to Antara.

Police are investigating the cause of the fire, which is believed to have started in the generator room.

The blaze was the third major fire to strike government offices in Semarang this month. The first was at the Central Java administration's sociopolitics office, while the second was at an office belonging to PT PLN, the state-owned electricity company. (emb)