The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Fri, 03/12/2010
More than 300 kiosks and stalls were razed by a huge fire early Thursday morning at Blok VI of the Senen Inpres market in Central Jakarta.
No injuries were reported as vendors had not yet started the days business, financial losses, however, are predicted to reach as high as Rp 3.5 billion (US$381,056).
City-owned traditional market operator PD Pasar Jaya president director Djangga Lubis said on Thursday that about 250 kiosks and 80 stalls belonging to sidewalk vendors were destroyed during the blaze.
There are currently a total of 2,300 kiosks in the market, Djangga added.
“The vendors are still cleaning up their areas after the fire. They will not be open for business for the next few days,” he said, adding that he did not yet know when they would start re-operating.
Djangga said that most of the stalls damaged in the fire were those belonging to clothes sellers.
The fire broke out at 00:30 a.m. and could only be put out one and a half hours later after the deployment of 29 fire trucks.
The incident forced police to redirect traffic and close Senen terminal.
Traffic from Jl. Gunung Sahari to Senen was rerouted, while Senen bus terminal was closed for a temporary area for vendors to store their merchandise.
As of 7 p.m., traffic in the area was heavy, but moving.
“The Senen terminal was reopened as the route had returned to normal by 6:30 p.m.,” said Second Brig. Densus from the Jakarta Police Traffic Management Centre (TMC).
Djangga said that his office was predicting the fire had caused at least Rp 3.5 billion in losses.
“After cleaning up the market, we will review the building’s structural integrity.
“If it is not strong enough then we will have to remove the vendors to a temporary site,” he said.
He added that his office had prepared Kenari market of Salemba, Central Jakarta, as a temporary place for the vendors to start selling.
“But the vendors are not happy about moving to Kenari market,” he said, adding that they were all focusing on cleaning up the ruins of their kiosks at the moment.
He denied speculations that the blaze was an act of arson.
“We’ll let the police investigate the matter,” he said.
Central Jakarta Police chief detective Comr. Suwondo Nainggolan said separately that investigators were still looking into the probable cause of the blast.
“So far, we have questioned four vendors as witnesses in the case. We have not yet declared any suspects,” Suwondo said.
He said that his office had coordinated with the police forensic laboratory to find out the cause of the incident.
As of Thursday afternoon, he added, police was still finding it difficult to access the site.
The market was built about 30 years ago under the governorship of Ali Sadikin.
Along with the market construction, the late governor set up the neighboring terminal.
In the 1990s, modern shopping centers like Atrium Senen and sidewalk vendors have made the area a major trade site in the capital.
In 2004, the Pasar Jaya actually planned to renovate the market but some vendors turned down the idea.
Senen is also known as one of the busiest areas in the city thanks to the terminal and Senen train station, through which thousands of commuters pass each day.
Also the following:
Monday, May 30, 2011 14:35 PM
Jakarta
Fire destroys 20 houses in Senen
Around 20 houses were razed in a fire on Jl. Kembang Sepatu in Senen, Central Jakarta on Monday, Jakarta Police say.
A press release issued by Jakarta Police on Monday says a short circuit in one of the houses, belonging to a resident named Erna Supit, was suspected to have caused the fire.
The fire burned until 9.30 a.m, after 18 fire trucks had been sent to put it out.
Most residents affected by the fire were unable to salvage their belongings, and are now expecting compensation from the Jakarta administration.
Senen Police is currently investigating the incident.
(All x the Jak Pos)
ma 30 mei 2011 - 7:41