Fire victims asked to resettle<\/p>\n
R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura<\/p>\n
Jayapura Mayor, Kambu, has instructed the residents of
\nBhayangkara subdistrict whose homes were destroyed by fire on
\nSept. 26 not to rebuild their homes in the same location, as it
\nwas vulnerable to landslide and overlapped with some of the
\ntown's green areas.<\/p>\n
Kambu said on Wednesday that all the residents should leave
\nthe area, where they have been erecting tents and other temporary
\nshelters since the fire, no later than Oct. 14.<\/p>\n
\"All the buildings destroyed by the fire were illegal and the
\nhouse owners did not have legal documents for the land occupied
\nby their former houses,\" he said, adding that this was the
\nposition of the regency administration.<\/p>\n
The mayor said that the administration could not give any
\nguarantees to the residents on whether they would be resettled or
\ngiven another area to live in.<\/p>\n
\"It's their own business,\" he said, adding that the decision
\nwas fair.<\/p>\n
Fire struck the densely populated Bhayangkara subdistrict in
\ndowntown Irian Jaya, capital of Jayapura, on Sept. 26, destroying
\nhundreds of houses, and leaving homeless thousands of people
\nbelonging to 985 families. No fatalities were reported.<\/p>\n
Police have yet to reveal the cause of the fire, but an
\neyewitness had earlier said that the fire originated from an
\nexploding oil stove belonging to a local named Bondan.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the leader of Besar Kayu Pulau tribes Gaspar Sibi,
\nwho claimed to have inherited the Bhayangkara land from his
\nancestors, said he supported the mayor's decision.<\/p>\n
\"Please, don't let any buildings stand on the land in the
\nfuture,\" Gaspar said, adding that the land was part of a
\ndesignated green area. \"We just want to avoid possible disaster.
\nLet the land be used for greenery.\"<\/p>\n
The fire victims however demanded that the local
\nadministration help them find a new location. \"Most of us prefer
\nstaying here to going elsewhere. We have no place to go. It's not
\neasy to find vacant land in Jayapura.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fire-victims-asked-to-resettle-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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