The barracks situated right in front of a local hospital, caught fire and spread rapidly as the wind was strongly blowing.
"It was still a mystery as to where the fire started and destroyed 10 units of the military barracks, while material loss had been estimated to reach hundreds of millions of rupiah, " Timan (34), a local resident said.
The homes destroyed by the fire belonged to Penjonis (47), Yusran (37), Abu Sofi, Rusyanto (39), Dianto (39), Deni (39), Zulferi (42) Heri Daus (50).
The local residents with the help of several fire engines tried hard to put out the flames and succeeded only after half an hour.
Eyewitnesses said the flames came from a home owned by Sergeant Major Penjonis (47) and spread rapidly to his neighbors.
"We heard explosions several times which may have come from the bursts of LPG canisters," Timan said.
There were no reports on fatalities. Lahat district police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Benny Subandy said intensive investigations of the fire were still underway. (*)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
