Fire off Jl. Jaksa razes 60 houses

Fire off Jl. Jaksa razes 60 houses

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two young foreign women rushed out from an alleyway off Jl. Jaksa
in Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, to escape the smoke and heat
from a fire that broke out in the crowded neighborhood at around
2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

"The heat took me by surprise as it reached my bedroom.
Fortunately, the fire didn't," she said, while trying to avoid
curious onlookers who had come into the alley.

Three hours earlier, residents around Jl. Jaksa, known as an
area where many foreign tourists stay, were surprised by a small
explosion followed by fire that spread quickly from one house to
another.

At least 32 fire trucks along with dozens of firemen from the
Central Jakarta fire station arrived 10 minutes later. By 3 p.m.,
they declared that the fire had been extinguished.

According to Djamil, the Kebon Sirih subdistrict head, around
60 houses had been destroyed by the fire.

"We haven't heard any reports of fatalities... We are still
assessing the damage," he told The Jakarta Post.

Quoting several witnesses, Djamil said the fire came from one
of the rented houses in the alley.

"It could have been caused by a short circuit. But we really
don't know, exactly," he said.

Muchtar from the Indonesian Red Cross said that more than 10
people had been injured in the fire, and that all had been taken
to a hospital.

In the alleys, meanwhile, crying and shouting could be heard
from those who had lost their homes and all their possessions.

Some residents just looked at the remains of their houses in
silence, while a mother cried, walking back and forth holding a
baby.

"I heard people screaming for help. I rushed outside and I saw
part of my house on fire. I tried to save whatever I could. But I
only managed to save my baby and a TV set. I don't know what to
do now," said Hesti, whose husband was still on his way home.

Not far from Hesti, Jali, 50, could only sit in front of the
remains of his house, staring into the sky.

"I lost everything. I couldn't save anything. How am I going
to live?" he said.

Muchtar said his office would immediately open an emergency
post and kitchen nearby to assist victims of the fire.