Numerous Killed In Indonesia Mall Fire
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
JAKARTA (Worthy News) – Eight bodies were found so far after a fire broke out at one of the oldest shopping malls in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, as rescuers intensified search efforts for still missing persons, officials said Saturday.
The blaze at the Glodok Plaza started at around 9:30 p.m. local time Wednesday in a discotheque and karaoke venue but quickly spread, according to investigators and witnesses.
Many customers were reportedly in the mall during the massive blaze.
Officials said the city’s fire department deployed over 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters to combat the flames at the shopping mall.
The city’s police spokesperson, Ade Ary Syam Indradi, told reporters that firefighters and police personnel were still investigating the cause of the blaze.
Footage monitored by Worthy News showed horrific flames coming out of the top floors of the massive mall. Witnesses said they had heard “a loud explosion” when the fire began.
FIRE SPREADING
The acting chief of the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Service, Satriadi Gunawan, confirmed that “the fire grew bigger and spread to the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th floors.”
He added that the fire, which began at the venue “on the 7th floor,” may have been caused by “an electrical short circuit or gas cylinder,” but added that an investigation is still underway.
This was the second massive blaze at the shopping mall since April 9, 1983, when a fire engulfed the Golden Dragon restaurant. Worthy News learned that no deaths were reported at the time.
Indonesian television reported Saturday that the death toll from the latest blaze in West Jakarta rose to eight, but the toll was expected to increase.
Malls in Indonesia are often monitored by security personnel following Islamic terror attacks targeting areas frequented by Western tourists, including shopping centers as well as churches in the world’s largest Muslim nation.
The blaze at Glodok Plaza comes as Indonesia is also reeling from numerous volcano eruptions in recent days, although no deaths were reported.
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