Fire razes shanties in Penjaringan

JAKARTA (JP): Another 90 scavengers' shanties in Penjaringan district, North Jakarta were destroyed yesterday by fire, only 10 days after fire killed one person and razed 400 makeshift houses in a neighboring subdistrict.

No fatalities were reported and financial losses are still being calculated.

Makyo, an officer of the North Jakarta fire brigade said as of 7:30 p.m., the fire, which began at 3.40 p.m, had not yet been put out.

"We are finding it difficult to extinguish the fire, because there were large amounts of used paper collected by the scavengers in the area," the officer told The Jakarta Post.

The fire's cause is yet to be determined.

The North Jakarta mayoralty announced yesterday that the squatters were not allowed to build their shanties, since the area is designated as a water catchment area. (jun)