Two killed in Tebet fire

JAKARTA: Two people were killed when fire razed their home in the Bukit Duri subdistrict of Tebet, South Jakarta, on Monday morning.

The victims were Nia, 24, and her brother Muklis, 8, the children of Sunarto, a cake vendor.

It is believed that the fire started at Sunarto's house around 2:30 a.m. and soon spread widely to about 20 other houses in the neighborhood, Antara reported.

Twenty fire engines from the South Jakarta and East Jakarta fire brigades managed to extinguish the fire a few hours later.

It was not until the fire was put out that the bodies of Sunarto's two children were found in their house.

Eyewitnesses said that Sunarto had earlier searched for his children and later collapsed in despair as he could not find them.

Sunarto's sister, who also lived in the house, was seriously injured after she jumped out of the window to escape the fire.--JP