Officials blame each other for latest fire

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya has refused to accept responsibility for Wednesday's fire at central Jakarta's Tanah Abang market, the country's largest textile market.

"It's a disaster. We followed standard procedure (to extinguish the fire)," PD Pasar Jaya president Syahrir Tanjung announced on Thursday after meeting Governor Sutiyoso at City Hall.

Syahrir claimed that Tanah Abang market was equipped with standard fire equipment, such as fire extinguishers and fire hydrants.

He dismissed speculation that the fire, which broke out at 12:30 p.m on Wednesday and was still burning as of Thursday evening, was intentionally set since PD Pasar Jaya had planned to develop a new market on the site.

"It's not true. We also suffered losses due to the fire since one-third of our total annual revenue was from the market," Syahrir said.

He revealed that PD Pasar Jaya received about Rp 100 billion (US$11.11 million) per year in rent from dozens of markets in the city, one-third of which came from Tanah Abang market.

While neglecting to mention the amount of estimated losses, Syahrir said the fire had destroyed at least 3,000 stalls in the market's A, C and E blocks.

"The market building was insured with city-owned insurance firm Askrida, but the amount of the insurance policy is too low compared to the losses suffered," he said. He did not mention the amount of the insurance policy.

Thursday's meeting was also attended by Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo, officials from the City Fire Department and the City Economics Office.

The head of operational division of the City Fire Department, M. Ishak S, said poor access and the poor condition of fire equipment had made it difficult for his men to extinguish the fire.

"Narrow entryways made it difficult to reach the fire, while the water hydrants could not supply water properly," said Ishak after the meeting.

He claimed that the building had the correct safety equipment as required by City Bylaw No. 2/1992 on fire safety.

"But I don't know why most of it wasn't working," he said.

The city administration, especially PD Pasar Jaya, has been repeatedly warned of the possibility of fire due to the cramped conditions in the market, which housed about 7,000 stalls, excluding some 2,000 street traders outside the market.

Financial assistant to the city secretary Rusdi Yusuf said traders whose stalls were destroyed during the fire would possibly be temporarily moved to a six-hectare plot in Waduk Melati, also in Tanah Abang.

"The land is under the supervision of the Indonesia Bank Restructuring Agency. Perhaps, we could use the land," Rusdi said after the meeting.

He said that should the traders refuse the offer, the administration would build temporary stalls near the market.

He said the administration would study whether it would build a market or just repair it.