Fire razes biggest market in Palu city

Fire razes biggest market in Palu city

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu

Hundreds of kiosks in Palu's largest market, Pasar Inpres
Manonda, were destroyed on Tuesday night in a fire that caused
billions of rupiah in damage. No casualties were reported in the
incident.

The fire, which began at about 9 p.m., razed about 1,600
kiosks. Firefighters were hampered in their efforts to contain
the blaze at the six-hectare market because one of the two fire
engines that arrived at the scene was not working.

Police have yet to officially identify the cause of the fire,
but a forensic team said it assumed the blaze was triggered by a
short circuit.

Also on Tuesday, a fire severely damaged some 36 houses in
Ujuna district, West Palu, forcing homeowners to take refuge in
the local subdistrict office.

Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Aryanto Sutadi toured
the scene of the market fire and criticized the Palu city
administration for failing to install fire hydrants near the
market.

"The Palu city administration was negligent. There should be
water hydrants here and more fire engines, but they do not care,"
he said.

Palu Mayor Suardin Suebo said his administration planned to
install more water hydrants around the city and to purchase more
fire engines.

"We should have more water hydrants and fire engines. This is
our fault and we apologize," Suardin said.