Mall construction catches fire

JAKARTA: The construction project Mal Pondok Indah 2 was temporarily halted on Sunday afternoon after fire burned down the project office and temporary three-story housing for the workers.

No fatalities were reported as the workers were still working.

The fire started at about 2:20 p.m., said Hendra, a security guard of PT Berka who witnessed the incident.

"The fire spread quickly ... it also gutted six food stalls in the area," he said.

Twelve fire trucks and supporting vehicles extinguished the fire hours later.

For the time being, the developer told construction workers from PT Berka, PT Yamatake Berka, PT Sandrel BRK, PT Jaya Teknik, PT Karya Rikada, PT JTI Mekanik and PT Indolek to rest and stay in the unfinished shopping mall. -- Antara