Fire razes Simpong market

Fire razes Simpong market

PALU, Central Sulawesi: A fire swept through the Simpong
traditional market in Luwuk, the capital of Banggai regency,
Central Sulawesi, on Saturday morning, destroying all of the
stalls.

No casualties were reported but material losses are expected
to reach billions of rupiah.

Eyewitnesses said the fire started at 3 a.m. at a stall in the
middle of the market, which is located on the coast of the Peleng
Strait.

Locals said firefighters did not reach the scene until three
hours later, and only extinguished the blaze at 9:30 a.m.

Banggai Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Guntur Widodo said the
police were investigating the incident but he suspected the fire
was started by a short circuit.

"There is nothing we could do. Everything was destroyed by the
fire," cried Marawiyah, one of the approximately 300 vendors at
the market.

This was the second time the Simpong market was destroyed by
fire, with a blaze in 1999 razing all the stalls. -- Antara

Semarang tries pollution-free zone

SEMARANG: The Semarang mayoralty administration will introduce
the Pollution-Free Simpang Lima zone in July on a trial basis.

During the trial period, all motorized vehicles will be banned
from the area, which is surrounded by shopping centers, from 5
a.m. to 9 a.m.

If the trial is successful, the administration will ban all
motorized vehicles from the area on Sunday mornings.

The head of the administration's information and communication
divison, Masrohan Bahri, said on Saturday the program was aimed
at "turning Semarang into a clean city".

He said a joint team from the provincial transportation
agency, the city police and the public order officer would
supervise the trial.

In support of the program, the administration also will
provide emission tests for motorized vehicles. -- Antara

Gorontalo to get naval base

GORONTALO, Gorontalo: A naval base is to be established near
Tomini Bay to combat the increasing number of foreign trawlers
illegally fishing in Indonesian waters.

Gorontalo Governor Fadel Muhammad said on Saturday Navy Chief
of Staff Adm. Bernard Sondakh had approved the plan.

He said that with the base, the Navy would be able to pursue
legal action against foreign trawlers illegally fishing in
Indonesian waters without having to go to Bitung, North sulawesi.

Fadel said he hoped the naval base would discourage foreign
trawlers from entering the country's waters. -- Antara