Officials blame each other for latest fire
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.