Two more commit suicide by drinking insecticide

JAKARTA (JP): An 18-year-old student and a 39-year-old woman have committed suicide by drinking insecticide, raising the number of suicides to 47 over the past four months.

Nuraini, a student from private vocational high school SMEA Budi Kemuliaan on Jl. Mangga Besar Raya in West Jakarta, was found dead in her bedroom at a boarding house on Jl. Mangga Besar XIII, Central Jakarta, yesterday morning.

Her nose was stuffed with cotton and a can of insecticide was found beside her.

The house's landlady, Ratna, said she found Nuraini's body after her boyfriend, Feby, 18, urged her to open Nuraini's bedroom door.

"Feby asked me to open Nuraini's bedroom door because she did not show up that morning," she said.

Police questioned Feby, who studied at the same school with Nuraini, at the Central Jakarta Precinct. He said he did not know any clear reason for Nuraini to kill herself.

"We had a big quarrel the night before she committed suicide. She threatened to kill herself when I told her during the dispute that I was going to leave her," Feby was quoted by the police as saying.

Feby said that they were disputing over "trivial" matters but did not give details.

Nuraini previously lived in Tangerang's Kotabumi area with her parents. She moved to the boarding house to be closer to school.

Nuraini's body was taken to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital for a postmortem examination.

Een Sulaimi committed suicide Wednesday at her house on Jl. Gandaria, Kebayoran Lama in South Jakarta, using the same technique.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said yesterday that police were still investigating the motive behind Een's suicide.

"Her family still has no idea about the motive behind Een's suicide. They admitted that she liked daydreaming and was having financial difficulties," Aritonang said without elaborating.

"We're checking for other motives related to the mental state of the victims," he said.

The number of people that have committed suicide this year more than doubles the last year's number over the corresponding period. (ivy/edt)