Fire burns down Blok M market

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

"I hate Mondays." The thought must have crossed the mind of more than 1,500 vendors at the Melawai market in Blok M, South Jakarta, as a fire raged through two four-story buildings that housed their kiosks on Monday.

There were no fatalities nor injuries but the vendors claimed to have suffered at least Rp 750 billion in losses as only a few vendors were able to retrieve their belongings.

According to Jakarta fire department head Johnny Pangaribuan, fire broke out at 7:45 a.m., reportedly from a gold jewelry workshop on the second floor of Building II, behind Aldiron Plaza.

At around 11 a.m., after the fire brigade claimed to have put out the fire, smoke was seen coming from a window on the second floor of Building I, only eight meters from the first one. Several vendors were busy evacuating their belongings.

At least 39 fire trucks from all over the city where sent to the scene, but as of 4 p.m. fire had engulfed Building II. The fire grew larger and spread to tents of temporary street kiosks alongside the building.

"The closed rolling doors made it difficult for us to put out the fire that spread to Building II," said Yanto, a fireman from the South Jakarta fire department.

He also added that the buildings would be torn down as the company plans to build a mixed-use complex consisting of a mall, a hotel and apartment blocks on the 2.1-hectare site.

"We will find a temporary place for the vendors but will not rebuild the buildings as it will be too costly," he said.

The Melawai market was built in the 1970s and grew to be a trading hub that housed clothing shops, drug stores, tailors and restaurants. The Blok-M area itself used to be a popular entertainment venue in the 1980s. (003)