Nine hurt, two missing in building collapse

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A three-story wall at the burned-out Tanah Abang textile market collapsed on Saturday, injuring at least nine people, including a marine soldier, while two other workers were buried and still missing under the rubble.

The police, in coordination with personnel from city market operator PD Pasar Jaya, were still searching for the missing workers as of late Saturday, while the injured were being treated in nearby hospitals with broken bones and head injuries.

The injured workers, who were dismantling the mostly abandoned building as part of the renovation project after it was razed by fire last February, were having lunch on the site when the accident took place at about 1 p.m. The marine is believed to have been part of a group providing security at the site, which was the center of a dispute with traders last year.

Other workers were hurriedly whisked away by security guards and strictly forbidden from speaking to the press, while several marines and the foreman also refused to answer questions.

One police officer said they had taken four witnesses to the Tanah Abang police station for questioning.

The old market will be replaced by a luxury mall, and is currently around 75 percent demolished.

More than 400 traders, who have defiantly stayed in the old market and vehemently rejected the plan to build a mall that will be too expensive for them to rent space, argued that the old building was safe enough and they were determined to stay.

City Council member Usman Sapta Odang apparently promised the traders that they could stay at the old market. However, the traders decided to move to a temporary building nearby a few weeks ago.

Tanah Abang Market Director Prabowo Sunirman ruled out any foul play. "I'm not that cruel to kill people just to justify that we were right to force them to move (because the building was unsafe)."

He added that the injured would have their hospital bills paid by the market.

"We have sent the victims to the hospital, six have been discharged while three who had serious injuries are still in the intensive care unit. We will take care all of their hospital expenses," asserted Prabowo.