BIG FIRES IN SOUTHERN BANDOENG

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21980, 26 March 1946, Page 5

BIG FIRES IN SOUTHERN BANDOENG

EXTREMISTS’ ACT SEVERE JDAMAGE BRITISH POSITIONS UNDER MORTAR ATTACK (10.30 a.m.) BATAVIA. Mar. 25. Indonesian extremists set. fire fo the southern part of Bandoeng which the British forces were about to clear of nnned bands. By midnight—zero hour for the evacuation of the Indonesians—lfi big tires were burning fiercely and about one-third of Java’s pre-war summer capital. had been destroyed. Meanwhile, mortars shelled the northern part of Bandoeng which is under British control. Rifle lire was also directed against the British positions. The telephone exchange and the main south Bandoeng railway station have been burnt to the ground. Churches, homes, warehouses and stores went up in flames to the sound of exploding land mines.

A military spokesman said the AngloIndian occupation of southern Bandoeng was proceeding without gunfire. The extremists had evidently retired or gone to ground. Population Fleeing From Town

The Netherlands News Agency says there is no doubt the fire was premeditated and that early preparations must have been made at many places. The liberal use of explosives and petrol is evident from the way the fire spread. Fires are still raging, with numerous explosions, presumably the demolition of utilities plants and communications. Air reconnaissance reported that the population is fleeing from the town.