Two killed in C. Jakarta fires

Two killed in C. Jakarta fires

JAKARTA (JP): Fires broke out in several places in Central
Jakarta over the weekend, leaving two people dead and some 1,900
people homeless, the city police spokesman said yesterday.

Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said one of the fires was caused by a
candle which fell onto flammable material in a house during a
power failure at 8 p.m. Sunday.

The fire, which claimed lives and ravaged 25 semipermanent
homes occupied by some 150 families on Jl. Pintu Air II, Pasar
Baru, was extinguished after 13 fire engines were called to the
scene and firemen worked hard for five hours.

According to a fire fighter, the two victims, Iyem, 65, and
her grandson Ferdi, 5, were trapped in their blazing house at Jl.
Pintu Air II/37, Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta.

Witnesses told the fire fighters that Iyem's house had always
been locked from the outside by her husband, a garbage collector,
before he went out for work at night.

Fires also burned down two houses and a four-story shop in
other areas of Central Jakarta yesterday at dawn.

Two houses, one of which was unoccupied, in Kenari
subdistrict, Senen, were burned to ashes. The fire, which was
caused by a short circuit in the empty house, started at 11:10
p.m. and ended at 1 a.m. yesterday, a fire fighter said.

No casualties were reported while financial losses had not
been determined.

Another fire gutted a four-story shop on Jl. Mangga Dua
Selatan, Sawah Besar. The building was used by a forwarding
company as an office and a warehouse.

Two people were seriously injured after jumping out of a
third-floor window to escape the fire which started at 5:05 a.m.
yesterday.

Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi said yesterday the victims
of a fire which last Saturday gutted at least 60 houses in
Kampung Rawa, Johar Baru, could rebuild their houses on similar
plots.

However, Kahfi warned the people that the land belonged to the
government. "They should be prepared to leave if the city
administration later wants to use the land. The administration
plans to build low-cost apartments on the site."

The fire left 144 families of about 1,000 people of Kampung
Rawa homeless. No casualties were reported, but financial losses
were estimated to reach hundreds of million of rupiah. (04/11)