F

ive people have died and five others are injured following two separate fires in Tangerang, Banten, on Friday.

The first fire broke out in the Dhamma Budhi Bakti temple, or Butong temple, on Jl. Bouraq in Neglasari, Tangerang, early on Friday morning, leaving four people dead and one injured.

When the family-owned temple caught fire at around 3 a.m., the five people were sleeping in two different buildings in the temple complex.

Among the victims, only the temple owner Beni survived although with serious hand injuries. Meanwhile, the other family members, identified as Selly, 28, Cing Cing, 10, Cek Api 60, and Soso, 60, died in the incident.

A witness, Indri, 29, told reporters that neighbors had tried to help the victims but were hampered by its locked gate. '€œWe tried to find a way to save them. We went to the back of the temple and put a ladder against it but we could only save Beni, who slept in a different building,'€ Indri said.

Indri said the alarm was raised by someone screaming for help. Soso apparently managed to get out of the temple, but went back inside to attempt to rescue the other family members.

However, all four were soon engulfed in the blaze.

'€œWe tried our best to save them,'€ Indri added.

The fire, which severely damaged the temple, was eventually brought under control at 8 a.m. after four teams of Tangerang firefighters and four water trucks from the Tangerang Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) were deployed to the scene.

The police have questioned several witnesses including Beni, to determine the cause of the fire. Based on preliminary investigations the police believe the fire was ignited by candles in the temple.

In a separate location, a house caught fire in Ciakar village, Panongan, Tangerang regency. A 2-year-old boy, identified as Alfard Azesa, was killed and his parents and sister were badly injured.

The boy'€™s father, Zainaldi, 39, allegedly bootlegged subsidized gas from 3-kilogram canisters into unsubsidized 12-kg canisters in the house. Tangerang Police, suspect the fire was caused by an exploding gas canister.

'€œWe cannot question Zainaldi now as he is still hospitalized as a result of his injuries,'€ said Tangerang Police chief Comr. Irman Sugema, adding that the police had seized 17 gas canisters from the house.

The blast killed Alfard and caused 80 percent burn injuries to his mother Agustina, 35, and sister Gaisha Azesa, 7.

Meanwhile, Zainaldi suffered 25 percent burns to his body. The survivors are being treated at Citra Raya Hospital, Panongan.

The victims were initially assisted by Zainaldi'€™s oldest son, Syahreza Algania 13, who was upstairs when the explosion occurred.

Following the blast he rushed downstairs and found his badly injured mother and younger siblings lying on the floor.

Syahreza immediately covered the children with a blanket and carried them outside.

At the same time, Zainaldi helped his wife and took his family by car to the hospital, however, Alfard passed away en route to the hospital.