The fire broke out after the Maghrib evening prayers. I was working when I received a phone call that my house had caught fire.Jakarta (ANTARA) - A fire blazed through some 40 semi-permanent homes in East Jakarta on Wednesday night, resulting in the forced displacement of some 100 people.
The fire, erupting at around 6:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, destroyed 40 homes located behind the Signature Park Apartment on MT Haryono Street in Cawang, East Jakarta, head of the neighborhood association (RT) 05 Muhammad Yusuf stated.
"The fire broke out after the Maghrib evening prayers. I was working when I received a phone call that my house had caught fire," he recalled.
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Most occupants of the scorched homes are scavengers, app-based motorcycle taxi drivers, and private company employees, he pointed out.
He chose not to speculate on the reason behind the fire. However, an officer of the East Jakarta Fire and Rescue Department believed a leakage in a gas cylinder hose caused the fire.
"I do not know exactly the cause of the fire. However, several witnesses believed there was a short circuit. They heard an explosion akin to a gas cylinder exploding," he noted.
Some 80 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the blaze.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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