December 5, 2009
MEDAN, Indonesia (AFP) - Indonesian police on Saturday questioned a man they believed accidentally started a fire in a crowded karaoke bar that killed 20 people.
The blaze broke out late Friday in the third-floor club, part of the larger M City entertainment complex in the city of Medan, North Sumatra province.
It spread quickly to other floors and raged for an hour before firefighters were able to bring it under control.
"Twenty people were killed in the fire. Eleven were male and nine were female," Medan police chief Imam Margono told AFP.
"They were killed because they got trapped on the third floor in the karaoke lounges. The lounges were near a kitchen (and) the third floor was sound-proofed, so there was no ventilation."
Most of the victims reportedly died of smoke inhalation.
Police said a short circuit was initially suspected of having started the fire.
But further investigations pointed to a cleaner who had tried to tidy an area of carpeting by burning excess material.
"We have found a suspect. He's a member of staff at the entertainment complex," Margono said.
"He tried to tidy up the carpet on the third floor by burning excess threads. The carpet quickly caught on fire."
Medan Fire Department chief Vukko Bakkara told The Jakarta Post newspaper firemen had difficulty evacuating the building because most of the karaoke lounges were locked when the blaze broke out.
Local officials said questions would be asked about safety standards at the entertainment complex, one of the biggest in the city.
"We have to be more careful in the future. All buildings have to be checked whether they have complete emergency tools. We need to inspect all the alarms," North Sumatra administration spokesman Eddy Sofian said.
Deadly fires are common in Asia due to the routine flouting or ignorance of fire and safety measures.
A blaze at a packed club in Bangkok's popular Ekkamai district broke out just after midnight on January 1, killing 64 people.
At the time police suggested it might have been caused by a pyrotechnics display on stage, but officials said they were also investigating the wiring in the club and sparklers handed out to guests.
A nightclub fire three months earlier, started by fireworks set off indoors, left 64 people wounded. An inquiry found the club had failed to take the necessary precautions against fire and had been able to continue operating by bribing officials.
