Fire razes 75 residential buildings in Indonesia's East Kalimantan

JAKARTA - A major fire swept through a densely populated neighbourhood in Tenggarong, East Kalimantan province, destroying about 75 residential buildings before being brought under control after about two hours.

Kutai Kartanegara Fire and Rescue Service chief Fida Hurasani said the fire broke out at about 4.30 pm local time on Monday in the Danau Aji and Sultan Alimuddin areas of Melayu village in Tenggarong, the administrative capital of Kutai Kartanegara regency.

"We deployed nine vehicles as well as 90 personnel from the duty and standby teams to extinguish the fire,” he said, according to state-news agency, Antara.

Fida said strong dry-season winds and closely built wooden houses in the densely populated neighbourhood hampered firefighting efforts, compounded by limited water supplies, as some fire engines had been deployed to tackle forest and land fires elsewhere.

To overcome the shortage, he said firefighters drew water from beneath residents’ houses and nearby ponds using portable pumps, supported by a dry hydrant linked to the Tenggarong River and two 5,000-litre water tanks.

No fatalities were reported, although three residents were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and severe shock, while police cordoned off the affected area to investigate the cause of the fire, according to local media reports. - BERNAMA