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.