12 workers escape warehouse fire<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Twelve men and women escaped unharmed from a
\nburning plastic and paper recycling warehouse in Cengkareng, West
\nJakarta, yesterday.<\/p>\n
Some of the employees of PT Inti Plastik on Jl. Mangga Ubi I
\nin the Kapuk subdistrict climbed over a two-meter high wall, and
\nothers demolished sections of it to escape.<\/p>\n
The fire began around 6:50 a.m. and continued until 7:15 p.m.
\ndestroying 13 houses and leaving 114 homeless.<\/p>\n
Five of the homes were razed.<\/p>\n
Syamsir Makmur, head of the West Jakarta fire brigade said
\nthere were no hydrants at the scene.<\/p>\n
\"Firefighters had to use the Apuran river, around 400 meters
\naway, a small pond, about 50 meters away, and a ditch in front of
\nthe building to get water,\" Syamsir said.<\/p>\n
Flammable materials in the warehouse made it more difficult to
\nput out the fire, he added.<\/p>\n
Hendra, the company's security guard, told the Jakarta Post
\nthe fire started in a pile of plastic and paper outside the
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
He said he and another employee, Kadir, tried to put out the
\nfire with extinguishers, but failed. \"Meanwhile, 12 employees
\ninside the building were screaming for help,\" Hendra said.<\/p>\n
The fire spread to the store and houses to the left of the
\nwarehouse, Hendra said.<\/p>\n
There were 30 homes to the left of the warehouse, only
\nseparated from the building by a two-meter high wall, he said.<\/p>\n
The 1,000-square-meter warehouse built in August 1993 is owned
\nby Tommy Kusuma, Hendra said. Tommy was not available for
\ncomment.<\/p>\n
The company which employs 20 people recycles plastic and paper
\nwaste from other firms.<\/p>\n
The cause of the fire is still unknown.<\/p>\n
However Syamsir speculated the fire may have been started by a
\nchemical reaction in the pile of waste, which he said had been
\nthere a long time.<\/p>\n
Residents said they occupied the land belonging to the state-
\nowned oil company Pertamina with land tiller status.<\/p>\n
They had to demolish a 200-meter wall separating their homes
\nfrom a plot belonging to PT Intiland to escape the fire.<\/p>\n
Azhar, a resident whose house was razed, said PT Inti Plastik
\nshould compensate them because it was responsible for their
\nlosses.<\/p>\n
Several residents, holding their remaining belongings, were
\nseen staring at their burnt homes. Hendra said the company would
\nbuild a public kitchen for victims.<\/p>\n
There have been more than 40 fires in the capital this year.
\n(11\/jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/12-workers-escape-warehouse-fire-1447893297",
"image": ""
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