Fire razes nearly 100 kiosks in Kenari electronics market<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Almost 100 kiosks in the Kenari electronics
\nmarket on Jl. Salemba Raya in Central Jakarta were destroyed by a
\nfire which began early yesterday morning. No fatalities were
\nreported.<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Abubakar Nataprawira
\nsaid the fire, which started at 3:30 a.m., was probably caused by
\nan electrical short circuit from one of the market's 452 kiosks.<\/p>\n
\"The police are interrogating a kiosk owner and the on-duty
\nsecurity guards,\" Abubakar said. The fire is estimated to have
\ncost billions of rupiah in losses.<\/p>\n
Around 98 kiosks managed under the city-owned market company
\nPD Pasar Jaya were destroyed in the fire, which led to hours of
\ncongestion on Jl. Salemba Raya to Jl. Matraman Raya.<\/p>\n
The kiosks were owned by 377 traders, according to the
\ncompany's management.<\/p>\n
The dense market, popular for relatively cheap electronic
\nproducts, is known as the old Kenari market to differentiate it
\nfrom the new neighboring high story building built to accommodate
\nthe traders.<\/p>\n
Although most of the fire was put out before noon, until late
\nafternoon firefighters were still trying to cope with the
\nremains. Firefighters said before 11 a.m., fire sparked again in
\nkiosks located in the middle of the market, which also contained
\nelectronic goods.<\/p>\n
Strong winds blew the thick smog around while kiosk owners,
\nblack with soot and drenched in dirty water, shouted into
\nhandphones and gathered whatever they could salvage.<\/p>\n
Others who had found their lost goods stood around speechless.<\/p>\n
Insurance<\/p>\n
\"We are not insured,\" Andreas, an owner, said. Most insurance
\ncompanies refuse to insure kiosk owners in traditional markets,
\nhe and other traders said.<\/p>\n
The source of water was hydrants from across the road and the
\nPaseban river 200 meters away, as no hydrants were found in and
\naround the market.<\/p>\n
\"We will try to drag the hoses up along the pedestrian
\nbridge,\" M. Idris Paddai, the head of operations control at the
\nFire Department said.<\/p>\n
\"Many of our hoses were destroyed by passing cars, though we
\ntried to divert traffic,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Fredy Alling, the chief of the Central Jakarta fire
\ndepartment, told The Jakarta Post that he received a call about
\nthe fire at 4:15 a.m., and immediately deployed 19 brigades with
\n160 personnel to the site.<\/p>\n
He said the fire could be stopped in less than three hours,
\nhad there been a hydrant nearby.<\/p>\n
Idris said time was also wasted in having to break down kiosk
\nwalls so firefighters could pass.<\/p>\n
\"There should be one corridor for every five kiosks in a row,
\nbut here there is only one after more than 10 kiosks,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The head of the market, Masdar, said the total losses could
\nnot be estimated yet.<\/p>\n
Edi, a kiosk owner, said he lost about Rp 100 million (US$
\n42,194). Another, Chandra, said he lost Rp 400 million.<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi and the spokesman of the
\nmarket company, Lihardin Sipayung, said separately that owners
\nare not allowed to rebuild their kiosks.<\/p>\n
They repeated earlier announced plans to renovate the market
\nand accommodate traders in temporary sites along the slow lane of
\nthe road.<\/p>\n
Traders said they had just had a meeting with officials around
\ntwo weeks ago, in which they had agreed to move when the
\ntemporary sites were ready.<\/p>\n
Security officers said it was too early to suspect arson.<\/p>\n
The market company had planned to initially accommodate 100
\ntraders at the temporary site. (jun\/26\/anr)<\/p>",
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