Numerous fire victims see doctors for stress

JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of residents in the Tanah Abang district, Central Jakarta, whose houses were ravaged by a fire Monday flocked to doctors yesterday for stress.

Astri Handayani from the Central Jakarta Health Office said dozens of residents have visited a health clinic set up in front of the Baitul Muslimin mosque on Jl. Karet Pasar Baru, in the Karet Tengsin subdistrict.

"Most of them suffer from stress. They have been complaining of headaches since the fire," Astri said.

She said other residents came to the 24-hour clinic for hand and leg wounds after salvaging their belongings.

Monday night's downpour worsened their condition.

"Some residents (including children) caught cold and have coughs today," she said.

More than 1,500 people became homeless when a fire destroyed 300 slum homes in seven neighborhoods of RW 05 of the district.

The fire was believed to have been caused by an explosion of a kerosene stove owned by a ketupat sayur food vendor.

But, Hasan Baharudin, head of a neighborhood unit, said that one of their neighbors, Jupri, had said the fire was not caused by a stove explosion but by a short circuit in his house.

Hasan and Jupri then reported the believed cause of the fire to the Tanah Abang police subprecinct yesterday.

Tanah Abang police officer Lt. Ali Masduki confirmed the short circuit as the real cause of the fire.

The slum district was still wet and slippery yesterday when residents tried to fish out remaining valuables.

Scavengers had gathered on the site.

The residents sold remaining goods made from steel to scavengers for an average price of Rp 200 (8.3 US cents) per kilogram.

Jazrul, a security officer from the United Development Party (PPP), said he and his friends set up a security post and a communal kitchen for the fire victims.

"We received donations from PPP's Tanah Abang branch and some individuals," he said.

PPP's South Jakarta and Central Jakarta chapters donated food and kerosene lamps to the fire victims yesterday, the party's central board said in a press release.

The residents slept at a local military office, the Baitul Muslimin mosque and in three big tents set up by the city's Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) on a soccer field behind the Karet Tengsin cemetery.

Lots of nasi bungkus, which was cooked at another communal kitchen set up by PMI on the soccer field, was distributed to fire victims.

The wife of the Karet Tengsin subdistrict head, Tuti Syaiful Bahri, asked people to donate money, food and clothes.

"We hope people could donate clothes, especially school uniforms because several victims were students," she said.

The residents began to rebuild their homes yesterday, some of which bought wooden planks for their homes.

Meanwhile, Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said the victims were allowed to rebuild their homes for a temporary period.

"In the long term, the city will build low-cost apartments for residents, not apartments for middle or upper-income people. But we don't have the funds for that yet," Surjadi said.

"Stop saying that the land will be bought by developers," Surjadi said, referring to rumors among residents that a private developer had recently offered to buy their land for Rp 600,000 per square meter.

He said most victims' homes were built on city-owned land. "A few have land certificates," he said.

Neighborhood chief Hasan said his residents insisted on rebuilding their houses, even though the subdistrict village head had asked them to seek a safer place within four days after the fire.

"We are not ready to move because most of us don't have relatives outside the scorched area," said Hasan's daughter, whose relatives in the neighborhood were also victims of Monday's fire. (jun/ste/03)