Fire destroys kiosks in Tebet market

JAKARTA: A total of 28 kiosks and 40 temporary stalls on the first floor of the three-story market in Tebet, South Jakarta, were destroyed by fire on Saturday.

No casualties were reported.

The fire began at 7:45 a.m. and lasted for two hours before dozens of firefighters, helped by traders and local people, managed to extinguish the flames.

A total of 29 fire trucks were deployed to combat the blaze.

The Detik.com news portal reported that the firefighters experienced difficulties in tackling the inferno as many of the hydrants located near the market were not working properly.

There are 500 kiosks in the market, which is run by the city- owned market operator, Pasar Jaya. The source of the fire was an electrical short-circuit in one of the kiosks.--JP