A house fire claimed a family of four in Bukit Gading Cisoka in Tangerang, Banten, early Tuesday morning.
The victims were a 45-year-old father, a 35-year-old mother and two children aged 5 and 1.
Their bodies were found embracing each other, Cisoka Police chief Insp. Uka Subakti said.
"They were found huddled together, hugging each other. There were two children, one female and one male," Uka said on Tuesday as reported by tribunnews.com.
A short circuit in the air conditioner's engine was suspected to be the cause of the fire, which occurred at about 4:30 a.m. The engine was between a stall at the front house and the room in which the deceased family were found.
"They couldn’t get out because the air-conditioner engine was next to the door,” Tangerang Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) emergency and logistics division head Kosrudin said on Tuesday, adding that the only way out was through the stall.
The neighbors tried to put out the fire as they waited for fire engines to arrive. Kosrudin said that by the time the firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire, the house had been destroyed. The bodies of the family were taken to a hospital in Balaraja for autopsies. (stu)
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