Fire guts Jakarta's major shopping center
Fire guts Jakarta's major shopping center
JAKARTA (JP): Fire gutted around 300 shops in the Pasar Baru Shopping Center yesterday. The fire began around 5:30 a.m. and had not subsided by late evening. Two firefighters sustained minor injuries and losses are expected to amount to billions of rupiah.
The fire burned the second, third and fourth story of the Harco Plaza on Jl. Samanhudi, Central Jakarta. Twenty-eight fire brigades from various districts were deployed.
The Sawah Besar Police subprecinct chief Major M. Iriawan said the fire began in a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet on Harco Plaza's second floor.
Around midday the fire spread to King Plaza, linked to Harco Plaza by a pedestrian bridge, a police source said.
At 7:45 p.m. fire had spread to neighboring stores, Grand Optic and Bazaar 123 stores.
Firefighters said major problems they had encountered included fire hydrants in the area not functioning and strong winds. Glass panels had to be smashed before firefighters could go through thick smoke. A firefighter said the smoke was worse than at the fire which razed the Senen market in November.
Suharso, chief of the city's fire department, said the fire had been difficult to reach because it was in the center of Harco Plaza.
Water was supplied from a nearby river, 100 meters east of the shopping center.
Two firefighters were injured by pieces of glass; no other casualties were reported.
Among the largest stores destroyed were the Matahari Department Store outlets, both in Harco and King Plaza.
Iriawan said six security guards were taken for questioning.
Witnesses said the fire had been caused by a short circuit in the Kentucky Fried Chicken store. But other witnesses said the source of the fire had been the explosion of a stove in the restaurant around 5 a.m.
Sources, who declined to be named, said the cause was arson.
A building technician said electricity had been switched off each night, making a short circuit unlikely. A trader said several kiosk owners whose shops were not insured had evacuated their merchandise Sunday.
Dedy Kusnaedi, branch director of the state-run pawn shop in Pasar Baru, Perum Pegadaian, estimated losses at Rp 4 billion.
"We will be responsible for all losses," Dedy said. He said the firm would compensate all losses. Several people had pawned valuables to get money for the Idul Fitri celebrations which fall on Feb. 9 and 10.
An owner of an optical store claimed losses of about Rp 500 million (US$207,296). A photographic shop claimed Rp 1 billion in losses and an interior design shop Rp 2 billion.
A shop and restaurant owner expressed sadness because the chance to make money during the Idul Fitri holidays had disappeared.
"Starting this week my sales were increasing but the fire has wiped out my hope," another shop owner said.
Employees had not been paid salaries and Idul Fitri allowances.
Another fire occurred in Cengkareng, West Jakarta: a plastic factory, PT Samudra Plastik, was destroyed in the Kapuk subdistrict, in the morning.
Suharso said there had been at least 62 fires this month. (team)