City center fires destroy shops, classrooms

City center fires destroy shops, classrooms

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two separate fires in Central Jakarta gutted on Tuesday several
buildings, including a private school and created traffic
congestion.

No fatalities or injuries were reported in the fires, while
the financial losses are still being calculated.

The first fire began at about 10 a.m. in the busy business
district of Mangga Besar, worsening already heavy traffic.

Witnesses said the fire began in the kitchen of the Medan Jaya
restaurant, located in a multistory building. The fire soon
spread to other businesses in the building, including a pharmacy,
a billiard hall, a telephone kiosk and a computer game center.

The blaze also gutted 10 classrooms at Yayasan Kartini
kindergarten, elementary and junior high schools, leaving just
one classroom intact.

Junior high school headmaster Abdul Hamid said the students
were immediately evacuated from the school compound when news of
the fire reached them.

The students were sent home and will be on holiday until
further notice, he said.

The Central Jakarta and West Jakarta fire departments deployed
at least 19 fire trucks and support vehicles to the scene, but
the trucks took over an hour to reach the fire because of the
traffic.

A second fire occurred in Kebon Sirih subdistrict at about
11:15 a.m. Five fire trucks were deployed to fight the blaze,
which broke out in a vacant house in a densely populated alley.

Rosy, a resident, said she was leaving her house when she
spotted the flames and raised an alarm.

The blaze spread to several low-cost boarding houses near the
Natrabu restaurant on Jl. H. Agus Salim (more commonly known by
its old name Sabang).

Employees and customers of the restaurant and neighboring
businesses quickly evacuated the shops.

The police temporarily closed off the street to allow fire
trucks to reach the scene, causing severe traffic congestion
along Jl. KH Wahid Hasyim and Jl. Kebon Sirih.