Devastation as lack of water allows Tanah Abang to burn<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto and Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Eyes brimming with tears and panic etched in her face,
\nJessica, 49, with her hands held together solemnly in front of
\nher, repeatedly murmurs in prayer as she watches the thick smoke
\nand flames engulfing more than 1,000 kiosks in the four-story
\nTanah Abang market.<\/p>\n
"I'm praying for torrential rains to help extinguish the
\nfire," Jessica, who lost one of her two kiosks to the fire, told
\nThe Jakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Jessica could not believe that over than 30 fire trucks and
\nmore than 100 firefighters had failed to douse the fire due to a
\nlack of water.<\/p>\n
The head of the City Fire Department, Johnny Pangaribuan.
\nregretted that his firefighters found it difficult to put out the
\nfire due to a lack of water.<\/p>\n
"The main problem is that only one fire hydrant is working,
\nwhile several other hydrants are not functioning," grumbled
\nJohnny, adding that most of the kiosks were also stacked with
\nclothes and combustible material like apparel, rubber and
\nplastic, contributing to the wide and fast spread of the fire.<\/p>\n
The Post witnessed at least five fire hoses directed by
\nfirefighters repeatedly run out of water due to an incessant
\ninterruption in the water supply.<\/p>\n
Soemedi, one firefighter at the scene, lamented being unable
\nto take water from Krukut River behind the burning building owing
\nto the low water level.<\/p>\n
"We have contacted the city's crisis center to open the
\nfloodgate so that we can take water from the river. But, as you
\ncan see, they have done nothing even after all these hours,"
\nSoemedi complained.<\/p>\n
Ironically, many Jakartans are worried about floods as it is
\nthe peak of the rainy season.<\/p>\n
Eyewitnesses said the fire was caused by a short circuit in a
\nsubstation located on the building's first floor in Block A. The
\nfire quickly spread to the building's upper floors.<\/p>\n
The fire was still raging at midnight., devouring Blocks A, C,
\nD and E of the market. No fatalities had been reported, but at
\nleast six people suffered light injuries when fleeing the fire.
\nBlocs B and F have been spared.<\/p>\n
Losses caused by the fire have yet to be estimated, but an
\nunconfirmed source put the figure in the hundreds of billions of
\nrupiah. One trader claimed that one kiosk was worth Rp 300
\nmillion plus merchandise.<\/p>\n
The market, one of the largest textile and garment markets in
\nSoutheast Asia, is visited by more than 21,000 people every day,
\nincluding foreign traders from Africa.<\/p>\n
The head of the Tanah Abang Market Traders Association, Komar,
\nrevealed that the market management failed to provide adequate
\nfire protection because it focused more on reaping as much profit
\nas possible.<\/p>\n
"Only one fire hydrant works in here while the other hydrants
\nare mere furnishing. They are not attached to any water pipes,"
\nhe said angrily while watching the fire blaze through shops just
\n50 meters from his own shop.<\/p>\n
"Look at this place. Even space in this small yard is offered
\nto traders at outrageous prices," he said while pointing to a
\ncourtyard inside one of the market blocks.<\/p>\n
Johnny, who rushed to Tanah Abang upon learning of the fire,
\nleaving another fire that was sweeping through hundreds of houses
\nin Lokasari, Central Jakarta, since 7 a.m., admitted that the
\nmarket, like many other storied buildings in Jakarta, lacked
\nfire-fighting equipment.<\/p>\n
Johnny revealed that last year owners of almost half of the
\nhigh-rises in Jakarta had failed to properly maintain the
\nbuildings' fire safety systems or have fire safety equipment
\nregularly checked.<\/p>\n
Jakarta is said to be vulnerable to fire due to its poor fire
\nawareness and city planning. As of Wednesday, at least 96 fires
\nhad broken out in the city since January last year, claiming at
\nleast five lives.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Jakarta deputy governor Fauzi Bowo promised to
\nprovide temporary premises from where the traders could resume
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
"The most important thing is that business activities in the
\nmarket must go on," Fauzi said.<\/p>\n
Fauzi said the fire was the second fire to gut the market. In
\n1970s, the market, one of the oldest in the city, burned for
\nthree days.<\/p>\n
Police deployed nearly 1,000 personnel to safeguard the market
\nfrom looting.<\/p>",
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