Victims of Kelapa Gading fire return from hometowns<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Residents of the Kelapa Gading district in
\nNorth Jakarta returned yesterday from their hometowns to the
\ngutted remains of their homes and belongings.<\/p>\n
Some knew about Thursday's fire from television but others had
\nbelieved the reports were about the Feb. 9 fire in the
\nneighboring area along the same road, also in the Pegangsaan Dua
\nsubdistrict.<\/p>\n
\"I thought the security guard (of the nearby housing complex)
\nwas joking,\" said Fatmawati, a young attendant at a garment shop
\nin the ITC Mangga Dua shopping center. She and her husband who
\nhad just built a home on Jl. Pegangsaan II, had returned from
\nMagelang, Central Java.<\/p>\n
Geno Suwarto had gone to Cilacap where he spent less than six
\nhours there before returning to Jakarta in response to a
\ntelephone call. He told his mother the call was about someone he
\nhad to meet in Jakarta. Given the traffic, it took four hours
\nmore than usual to get back.<\/p>\n
Neighbors filled him in on the fire which started on the roof
\nof an empty house at 3:15 a.m., and rapidly destroyed the 450
\nplywood homes which were home to some 2,000 people. Pardani, 80,
\na scrap iron scavenger, had rented out 12 rooms in his house.<\/p>\n
Geno, an advertising agency driver, was thankful his wife, two
\nboys and sister-in-law were safe. All 15 of his \"Medan tea\" carts
\nwere destroyed. His wife only regretted their new Fuji camera,
\nand pictures of their Idul Fitri picnic at the Ragunan Zoo, were
\ndestroyed in the fire.<\/p>\n
Employers became as poor as their workers when their capital
\nand assets went up in smoke. Kodir lost all 20 of the carts he
\nused to sell \"Medan tea,\" a refreshing sweet ice drink. One of
\nhis cart pullers, Tofik, returned from Kendal, Central Java, with
\nonly Rp 1000.<\/p>\n
Owners of three-wheel vehicles called toyoko wondered how they
\nwould pay their debts to the cooperative where they bought their
\nvehicles.<\/p>\n
\"In three years I've only paid Rp 3 million of Rp 24 million,\"
\nsaid Toha, who owned three vehicles.<\/p>\n
Yesterday a district office official said a circular was being
\nprepared telling residents they could not rebuild.<\/p>\n
But the reasons for this still varied. Mayor Suprawito would
\nonly say rebuilding was \"allowed according to procedures,\"
\nmeaning residents should check with local authorities.<\/p>\n
A public order official at the subdistrict office said the
\n14,000-square-meter land belonged to the partially-city-owned
\nproperty firm PT Pembangunan Jaya, and the residents had
\nillegally taken over the property.<\/p>\n
An official at the district's development supervision office
\nsaid the plot, like the one razed Thursday, was a green area and
\nunder high-voltage electricity cables.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile residents said they had documents showing individual
\npermits to use the land, signed by the former subdistrict head
\nSoedarsono.<\/p>\n
One man said he believed they would be allowed to rebuild
\nbecause the government had registered more than 2,000 eligible
\nvoters for the May general election in the area.<\/p>\n
Sepinter Djuwariah, who held a permit for a 300-square-meter
\nplot, said it did not matter if the other parties who claimed
\nauthority over the land wanted to use it, as long as they were
\ngiven compensation.<\/p>\n
Others said there had been rumors they would be evacuated
\nafter Idul Fitri, for unclear reasons.<\/p>\n
Residents said they did not want to charge anybody with arson,
\nbut felt it was strange the fire started from the roof of an
\nempty house.<\/p>\n
\"If someone wants to use this land they should say so. But
\nsince 1980 nobody has claimed ownership or said, 'thank you
\nMister for taking care of my land, now I would like to use it'\",
\nsaid Purwadi, a resident.<\/p>\n
Emotions led them to the rapid conclusion that if anyone were
\nto prevent them from erecting tents on the razed plot, it would
\nbe that person or group which should be suspected of possible
\narson.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile other residents were still busy searching for
\nvaluables in the remains. Hery, a scavenging business owner, said
\nhe lost Rp 7 million in the fire which also killed cats and
\nbirds.<\/p>\n
Many could still joke, but Sariah, 54, burst into tears when
\nshe saw her former neighbor from Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Our homes were evacuated three years ago (in Cempaka Putih)
\nand now our houses are burned,\" the food stall owner said.
\n(13\/anr\/ste)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/victims-of-kelapa-gading-fire-return-from-hometowns-1447893297",
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