Fire in Tambora leaves 100 families homeless

JAKARTA (JP): A fire in Tambora, West Jakarta, Indonesia's most densely populated district, hit only eight houses but left more than 100 families homeless.

The houses destroyed in Monday night's fire were all two-story homes with rented rooms.

Yesterday children collected contributions from passers-by while residents got food from a public kitchen.

The fire in the Kalianyar subdistrict was believed to have started from a candle in one of the houses, which was lit during a power cut. There were no casualties.

Recent statistics, Kalianyar is Indonesia's most densely populated subdistrict. It covers 8.8 hectares and 28,066 people from 44,656 families live in 3,534 houses.

Quoting the statistics, the Kompas daily said 35 percent of the subdistrict was slum area.

Most families operate businesses from their homes. Losses from one garment business alone reached Rp 200 million. Other businesses were scrap cloth suppliers, T-shirt makers, and noodle and porridge businesses.

Each business employed dozens of workers.

Only one businessman, the garment owner, Bong Ni Siong, said he was insured. "But I'll only get Rp 35 million while my losses are Rp 200 million," he said.

Compared to Jakarta's population density of 130 people a hectare, Kalianyar has 786 people per hectare.

One 200-square-meter house belonging to a water trader, Andreas, housed 26 families and several single men.

Mardi, a scrap cloth supplier, said he lost at least Rp 5 million in cash.

Tarmudi, who supplied chicken feathers for shuttlecocks, said he was lucky he had just sent four sacks of feathers worth Rp 4 million to customers in Tegal, Central Java.

Neighborhood head Royani said authorities had not yet told them whether they could rebuild. In earlier slum fires residents were banned from rebuilding.

He said only seven families were registered while the rest had temporary stay permits. Residents said they have lived here for up to 20 years on temporary permits.

Royani said the public works office had planned for years to widen Jl. Kalianyar X, to 20 meters but nothing happened.

Residents asked whether the city or government provided aid for rebuilding fire victims' homes.

"We're grateful for the aid in food supplies, but we have no idea where we can borrow money from to rebuild our homes," one resident said.

Residents said the fire was the first in the area.

The subdistrict gained widespread attention in last year's international conference on cities in Istanbul, Turkey, when researchers cited Kalianyar as an example of an overcrowded area. (anr)