Major blazes hit South Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two fires broke out in South Jakarta early Wednesday morning, causing billions of rupiah in losses and heavy traffic on the first day that offices opened after the Idul Fitri holiday.

Hundreds of houses in densely populated Kebayoran Lama burned down in the first blaze, the cause of which the police and firefighters have yet to determine.

No fatalities were reported in the fire.

Residents evacuated their belongings and attempted to put out the fire before firefighters arrived one hour after it was reported.

Later at dawn, a fire flared in a medicine storeroom in the D'Best shopping complex on Jl. Fatmawati.

The firefighters took over six hours to extinguish the fire, which originated in the basement.

The head of the fire brigade unit, Achmad MSC, said the blaze was most likely caused by a short circuit.

"It was difficult to contain the fire because there was no ventilation in the room, so we had to knock down one wall ... Besides boxes of medicine, a generator and diesel fuel were also stored in the room," he explained.

The storeroom was owned by medicine distributor PT Matolindo Primantara.

One company staff member, Ahmadi, said most of the medicine was imported and waiting for distribution.

"The losses incurred may reach more than Rp 1 billion," he said.

City fire department spokesman Amanudin said the storeroom failed to meet standard safety requirements for storing chemical substances because it was located in the basement of the building.