Not all homes to be rebuilt

JAKARTA (JP): Some fire victims in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, will not be allowed to rebuild their homes as the buildings were on river banks, a city official said yesterday.

The mayoralty's public relations officer, M. Yanis, said some fire victims had received compensation for a river-widening project before the fire occurred.

"The rest will soon receive compensation," Yanis said of the victims of a Sunday fire on Jl. Bumi Rahayu in the Mangga Dua Selatan subdistrict.

Because former homeowners in part of the razed area had been living in a designated business area, he said, they should acquire permits before rebuilding. "None of them had building permits," he said.

Those who had no where to go, he said, could stay in tents provided by the Indonesian Red Cross for another two weeks.

A 60-year-old woman died and 2,180 people became homeless when the fire gutted 217 homes.

Yanis said 465 families had to make way for the Ciliwung river-widening project, while 405 families, including some fire victims, had already received compensation. (anr)