At least 1,000 lose homes in Kebon Melati inferno

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta

Siti Rohayah's eyes were brimming with tears while she watched firefighters struggling to put out the fire that destroyed her home on Wednesday morning in the Kebon Melati subdistrict, Central Jakarta.

The 30-year-old mother, who is expecting her eighth baby in several days, lost everything in the fire. Helped by her mother Umayah, 55, she rescued her children from the fire that quickly spread from one house to another. Her husband, Umar Faruk, was still working at the nearby Tanah Abang market when the incident took place.

While their neighbors were also busy saving their belongings -- hundreds of houses were razed by the fire -- Rohayah and Umayah could only save some clothing.

All their belongings -- beds, a television set, CD players and other items -- were destroyed.

"Rohayah was very shocked. She just stood still, without knowing what to do, when the fire spread. Only when I told her to run, she became aware of the fire," said Umayah, who came from Bekasi on Tuesday to help Rohayah deliver her baby. "The only thing in my mind was how to save my grandchildren."

The Central Jakarta Fire Department said at least 425 houses in two community units were destroyed by the fire that started at around 10:30 a.m.

However, the Kebon Melati subdistrict only recorded 120 houses destroyed in the fire, leaving at least 1,160 people homeless.

Fireman Muhammad Idrus said 30 fire trucks were deployed and firefighters managed to put out the fire after working for more than two hours.

With an area of 661.52 square kilometers and 53 of its 267 subdistricts prone to fire, Jakarta has only 900 water hydrants, far from the ideal number of 20,000.

Fire department records show that approximately 800 fires occur in the capital every year, mostly caused by short circuits, stove explosions and smoldering cigarettes butts.

Kebon Melati subdistrict chief Rusdi said the cause of the fire was still unknown.

However, some witnesses claimed the fire came from a house in neighborhood unit (RT) 17, community unit (RW) 14.

Munawaroh, another victim, said the residents had lit candles because the power had been cut off since Tuesday evening, following a short circuit in another area that also caused a fire.

"I think someone forgot to put out the candles, which later burned other things in the house," she said.

In the afternoon, the homeless people were seen hanging around the site, talking to each other or just lying down under the open sky near the railway line.

Some aid was already sent by the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and the Jakarta Social Agency, but the victims were still in dire need of tents to protect them from possible rain and scorching heat. So far, only 10 small tents were available.

The campaign teams of presidential candidates Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and members of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) visited the victims later on Wednesday.

As the aid just arrived in the afternoon, the victims could only start cooking at around 8 p.m. Those who could not wait bought food from street vendors near the site.

As for Rohayah, she was still unsure where she would take refuge. "Maybe my family will stay temporary with my parents in Bekasi."