Kebon Kembang market traders rebuild their gutted kiosks

BOGOR (JP): Traders of the Kebon Kembang market started rebuilding their temporary kiosks yesterday, which were gutted by a fire on Thursday.

The traders started rebuilding by themselves because they were impatient with the Bogor city administration, which said it would rebuild new temporary facilities free of charge.

"Why should we wait, since it's not clear when their promise will materialize?" one of the traders, Syahril, 35, said.

Bogor regency spokesman, Hari Harsono, said on Friday that new temporary kiosks at the fire site would be rebuilt free of charge soon after a thorough investigation on the cause of the fire was completed. But he did not give details on when construction would begin.

"Being a trader is the only job I know," said Edy, 34, who said he would lose Rp 40,000 (US$15.50) per day if he did not work.

"I don't have any other skills to earn a living. If I don't start rebuilding my kiosk, how can I support my family?" he said.

Besides 144 temporary kiosks being gutting in Thursday's fire, another 45 were damaged by looters.

The temporary kiosks were set up immediately after a big fire destroyed the Kebon Kembang market last year, killing at least 10 employees of a department store operating at the market.

Two buildings, one with eight floors and another with six floors, were scheduled to be built starting next month to replace the old gutted facility. (24/hhr)