Fire rages in densely populated area, 86 families left homeless

JAKARTA (JP): Fire gutted dozens of houses at a densely populated area in Bukit Duri subdistrict, South Jakarta, on Saturday afternoon, leaving some 86 families homeless.

No fatalities were reported in the incident.

A resident said the fire began at 2 p.m. on the hot and dry afternoon.

"The fire apparently originated from the house belonging to a local resident named Amril," Rahman, head of the neighborhood, told reporters at the scene of the fire.

The fire spread fast and gutted nearby houses.

"All of the burned houses were located in Community Unit 12 (RW 12) at RT. 9, RT. 10 and RT. 12," head of the Bukit Duri subdistrict Chalid Mawardi said.

The Al-Choiriyah Mosque located at RT. 9, however, was not affected by the fire.

Residents cooperated in extinguishing the fire by using pails to fetch water from the nearby Ciliwung river.

About 13 fire engines from the city fire department, which arrived at the scene an hour later, helped put out the fire.

However, their efforts were impeded by the inaccessibility to the area. The fire was eventually extinguished at 4 p.m.

Temporary shelter

The residents whose houses were affected by the fire managed to salvage their valuables and entrusted them to their relatives and neighbors.

"With the help of my children and husband, I brought my belongings here," said Ade, 31, who is keeping her valuables, including clothes, a television set and a washing machine in her neighbor's house, which is some 200 meters away from the site of the incident. Ade's house was one of the properties burned in the fire.

Another victim, Mrs. Maryam, 37, was not as lucky as Ade.

"All my valuables have been destroyed by the fire except the clothes that I am wearing now," she told The Jakarta Post with her eyes glistening with tears.

"Even, my child's elementary school diploma and her savings book showing some Rp 200,000 (US$21) could not be salvaged," she said.

"I will temporarily take shelter at the house of my father-in- law who lives in this area."

Chalid said some of the fire victims will be temporarily be sheltered at a house belonging to the head of the RT. 9, Dadat.

"While people who have relatives here could stay with them," he said.

The police have yet to ascertain the cause of the fire.

"We are still questioning Amril. We suspect the fire originated from a stove in the house," chief of the Tebet Police subprecinct Asst. Supt. Asli Manao told reporters.

"There were no fatalities but some people suffered minor injuries as they rushed to salvage their belongings," Asli said.

Last September, a fire which razed a residential area in Utan Panjang in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, destroyed 14 houses.

In October, fire gutted the third floor of the Development Finance Comptroller's (BPKP) office on the busy Jl. Hayam Wuruk in Central Jakarta.

Some documents related to the alleged "mishandling" of the multibillion dollar emergency support from Bank Indonesia (central bank) have been destroyed in the fire. (asa/04)