Fire destroys 144 kiosks in Kebon Kembang market
Fire destroys 144 kiosks in Kebon Kembang market
BOGOR (JP): A fire has gutted 144 temporary kiosks erected
after a fatal blaze at Bogor's ill-fated Kebon Kembang market
last year.
Ten shop employees were killed in the fire which destroyed
hundreds of shops and the Ramayana department store on March 28,
1996.
There were no fatalities in Thursday's fire which started
about 7:30 p.m. and caused hundreds of millions of rupiah in
damage.
Ten fire engines from the Bogor Fire Department and a nearby
cement plant, PT Indocement Cibinong, extinguished the fire about
9:30 p.m.
Police are still investigating the cause of the fire which
destroyed 144 of the 2,131 temporary kiosks. An additional 43
shops were broken into and looted.
Kebon Kembang market, which was also called Pasar Anyar, was
destroyed by fire in 1956, 1976, 1986 and l996.
Some kiosk owners suspect the fire was deliberately lit to
hasten the construction of the new market. The temporary kiosks
on Jl. M.A. Salmun had been built only days after the fatal fire
in 1996 to accommodate shop owners.
The Bogor mayoralty planned to replace the old three story
market building with two buildings, one with eight floors and the
other with six floors. The construction of the new market is
scheduled to start next month.
Yudi, a kiosk owner, said yesterday he was told by a woman
that she smelled gasoline in one of the kiosks.
"I don't believe that the fire was an pure accident," Ramli,
another trader, said.
A plastic bag, which was believed to contain the remains of
gasoline, was found in a toilet at a nearby Borobudur department
store, Antara reported.
Bogor mayoralty spokesman, Hari Harsono, denied the claims
saying the kiosks would soon be rebuild in the same location.
"The kiosks will be given to the owners free of charge," Hari
said.
The kiosk owners, who sold mostly vegetables, chicken meat and
household goods, were seen sifting through the remains for
valuables.
After last year's fire, traders complained that each time the
market was rebuilt many had to quit their businesses as they
could no longer afford the rent. (24/jun)