Fire guts 127 shanty houses

JAKARTA (JP): Firefighters argued with residents yesterday as they tried to put out a fire that destroyed 127 shanty houses in Palmerah, West Jakarta.

More than 500 people were left homeless after the fire on Jl. Pelita in Palmerah's Jati Pulo subdistrict. The fire started at about 8:30 a.m and was put out at 10:30 a.m. No fatalities were reported.

West Jakarta Fire Brigade's head, Syamsir Makmur, said he was "very disappointed with the residents".

"Many of them grabbed hoses from my firefighters and tried to extinguish the fire themselves," Makmur said.

Fourteen fire engines were sent to put out the fire.

But locals complained that the firefighters worked too slowly.

"We were impatient. So we grabbed their fire hoses," a local said.

Makmur said the residents did not know how to extinguish a fire effectively. "That's why it took so long to put the fire out."

A Palmerah police sub-precinct officer said the fire was believed to have started in the house of a man named Udin.

"The fire was probably caused by a kerosene stove exploding in the house," the officer said.

He said Udin and two others were questioned by police.

Residents said Udin had left his stove on while he went to the market.

Many of the residents returned home from work to find their homes destroyed. Many of them are drivers or small traders.

Only a few managed to salvage televisions, clothes or other valuables.

"I was only able to save my gold necklace and wedding ring," a young woman said.

Makmur said one of the firefighters, Sidik, suffered an eye injury when he was hit in the left eye with a jet of water.

Sidik was allowed to go home after being treated at a nearby hospital, he said.

Two big tents have been erected on a nearby bank of the Tanah Abang flood canal to provide emergency accommodation.

West Jakarta Mayor Sutardjianto visited the fire victims at the fire site. He ordered his staff to give them food and clothing.

The fire was the second largest in Jakarta in May.

At least 300 houses in Karet Tengsin, Central Jakarta, were destroyed in a fire last Monday. An exploding kerosene stove was also believed to have caused the fire.

But police later said it was caused by an electrical short circuit. (jun)