Fire destroys major market in Cilacap

Fire destroys major market in Cilacap

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Cilacap, Jawa Tengah

More than 210 kiosks and their contents caught fire early on
Tuesday in a major market in Sampang Subdistrict, Cilacap,
causing Rp 2.5 billion (US$250,000) in material losses to local
traders.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Bambang Hermanu, chief of the Cilacap Police
Precinct, said the fire might have been caused by a short circuit
of the electricity cables in a food kiosk in the market.

"The police have grilled three security guards who were on
duty on Monday and according to their testimony, the fire started
in a food stand in the market and they heard an explosion before
the fire spread to other kiosks," he said.

He said local traders were believed to have suffered Rp 2.5
billion in material losses due to the fire.

Budiman, one of the security guards, said he had checked all
kiosks at around 24:00 and saw no signs of a fire, "but around an
hour later, we heard a major explosion and saw a major flare in
the food kiosk."

He said he and his colleague Disun screamed to wake up local
residents, asking them for assistance and to contact the adjacent
police station to handle the incident.

He said hundreds of people lent a hand but could not put out
the fire that had spread to other kiosks despite a heavy
downpour.

He said two units of fire tankers arrived three hours later
but all kiosks had caught fire.

Soeripto, chief of Sampang Subdistrict, said that for the time
being, around 500 traders whose kiosks were damaged in the fire
would be allowed to conduct their usual business in an area that
would be prepared by the local administration.

"The local administration will develop a new market and a bus
station in a large area near the town of Sampang," he said.

Soeripto denied possible political and business motives for
the fire, saying it was purely accidental.

Over the last ten months, three major markets in Ajibarang,
Purbalingga and Cilacap have caught fire, the incidents taking
place only months before planned rehabilitation work.