Most discotheques in Jakarta firetraps

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

About 75 percent of some 600 entertainment centers here are prone to fire, head of the city's fire department, Johnny Pangaribuan, disclosed here on Wednesday.

"Most of the amusement centers do not have adequate fire extinguishers and fire escapes," Pangaribuan said during a hearing with city councillors.

Pangaribuan said his office had observed some 600 entertainment centers in Jakarta, among them discotheques, movie theaters and pubs, since July last year.

"Most of the entertainment centers which are prone to fire are discotheques in West Jakarta," he said.

The fire department has sent these discotheques strong warnings, he said, adding that his office would ask the police to take stern measures against them if they failed to equip their buildings with fire extinguishers and install fire escapes.

Pangaribuan also disclosed that 40 percent of the 200 high- rise buildings, including government buildings, in Jakarta also do not have adequate fire extinguishers and fire hydrants. "Some of the buildings have fire extinguishers and fire hydrants, but their management has not maintained them properly," he said.

Jakarta has some 900 fire hydrants, 152 of which are in bad condition. The figure is far lower than the 20,000 fire hydrants needed by the city. The fire department, having pointed out the problem, is now hoping for a Rp 3 billion (US$333,000) annual windfall from the city budget to build 100 new hydrants annually.

Fire razed two areas in Jakarta last Wednesday. The fire that engulfed hundreds of textile kiosks at the Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta, the largest textile market in Southeast Asia, occurred a few hours after fire burned dozens of houses in Mangga Besar, West Jakarta.