Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Seven houses on Pasar Baru street in Padang city`s Padang Barat subdistrict were destroyed by a fire early Thursday morning.

The ill-fated houses belonged to Wina Safitri (35), Dian Rahnatiah (40), Zainal Abidin (70), Maria Lilin ( 56), Elizabeth (60) and Kiki (45), local residents said.

A resident named Junaidi Dalimunte, said the efforts of fire fighters and locals to extinguish the fire were hampered by strong wind.

Head of Padang city`s fire brigade , Andree Algamar, said he had sent 15 fire trucks to extinguish the fire that destroyed seven houses but there were no fatalities in the incident.

Fires remain a serious problem in Indonesia.

In April 2010, fire burned a couple in Cangkreng hamlet, Panempan village, Kota sub-district, Pamekasan regency, the East Java island of Madura. As a result, the husband and wife sustained serious burns.

In August 2010, fire also destroyed two houses in Beji village, Ungaran Timur sub-district, Semarang district, Central Java, and killed an 80-year-old man named Rakiman.

A witness named Samuji, 47, said the ill-fated houses belonged to Kastorejo alias Rakiman, 80, and Sinin, 50.

Another fire accident also occurred in East Kalimantan last September 2010.

A total of 37 families in the Arjuna neighborhood of Samarinda, East Kalimantan, became homeless after fire destroyed their houses.

Another serious fire accident also occurred in Palembang city, South Sumatran province in October 2010.

I destroyed tens of shops under the historic Ampera bridge at Sebrang Ulu, Palembang city.

Tens of fire trucks were deployed to extinguish the fire but the fire fighters took time to put it out. Despite that, some lucky shop owners could save their belongings.

Sofyan, a local resident who witnessed the accident, said he was concerned about the impact of flames that heated the structure of the bridge, built during the Soekarno era.

(SYS/R013/O001/S026)

Editor: Suryanto
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