New location sought for Senen traders<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta municipality is considering
\nalternative locations for traders whose kiosks were razed in the
\nweekend Senen shopping center fire, an official said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The suggested relocation places include the shopping center's
\nparking lot and the Jakarta Kemayoran fairground, Deputy Governor
\nfor Administration Affairs Idroes said.<\/p>\n
However, the traders refused to be moved to Kemayoran because
\nthe unfavorable location might harm their businesses.<\/p>\n
Instead, they asked to be relocated to the shopping center's
\nparking ground or the Atrium shopping center across from the
\nburned buildings.<\/p>\n
Idroes said the governor would decide the new location.<\/p>\n
The fire gutted more than 750 shops in block IV and V of the
\nCentral Jakarta shopping center.<\/p>\n
Idroes said the authority was still investigating the fire's
\ncause which started midnight last Friday and burned until early
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta fire department chief Suharso said the fire
\ncould have been handled sooner if the buildings had had adequate
\nfire prevention devices.<\/p>\n
"The fire would not have lasted so long and caused such
\nextensive damage had the buildings' alarm system and ceiling
\nsprinklers worked," Suharso said.<\/p>\n
Suharso said he could not recall the last time the Senen
\ndevices were checked. He said checking the building's fire
\nprotection equipment was not solely the fire department's
\nresponsibility.<\/p>\n
"There are thousands of buildings in Jakarta whose fire
\nprevention devices we have to control. With our limited
\npersonnel, it would take us almost two years to launch the
\noperation, " he said.<\/p>\n
Suharso said between 600 and 700 buildings in Jakarta were not
\nwell equipped in the event of fire.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a Senen department store representative denied
\nreports his store was destroyed in the blaze.<\/p>\n
Ramayana Department Store's Setyadi Surya said Ramayana was in
\na different building from the fire site and reopened yesterday.<\/p>\n
Although police have not been able to estimate the fire's
\ncost, traders estimated each shop lost about Rp 100 million.<\/p>\n
Many traders insured neither their kiosks nor their goods.<\/p>\n
"We have only been here for a year and have not made any
\nprofit," one traders said.<\/p>\n
Another said he was disappointed a PT Jaya Property
\nrepresentative had not contacted him. PT Jaya Property manage the
\nshopping center.<\/p>\n
PT Jaya Property data estimates the fire would cost it about
\nRp 1 billion of this year's net income.<\/p>\n
The Central Jakarta head of Telkom, the state-run
\ntelecommunications company, said the blaze disconnected nearly 80
\npercent of the areas 1,500 telephone lines.<\/p>\n
The company has set up automatic answering machines to explain
\nwhy the lines were disconnection.<\/p>\n
Some kiosk owners yesterday told the city council's United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) faction that they suspected arson.<\/p>\n
The traders who owned clothing and shoe shops on the first
\nfloor of block IV denied the fire started on their floor as the
\nfire department reported.<\/p>\n
They said when they first came to the shopping center, fire
\nhad not spread to the first floor and did not do so until much
\nlater.<\/p>\n
They said they had witnesses who said the fire came from the
\nblock's second floor.<\/p>\n
The PPP's Saud Rahman said his faction would investigate. (02)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-location-sought-for-senen-traders-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }