Traders angered at firefighters' slow response

JAKARTA (JP): Traders at the fire-ravaged Pasar Baru shopping center aired their grievances yesterday over the slowness of firefighters putting out Monday's fire, saying it allowed the fire to get even bigger.

The firefighters did not direct the water hose towards the fire, when it was still small," said Dedy Budiman, a spokesman for more than 30 traders.

Dedy is the owner of the drug store Ian Farma which was in the Harco Plaza which was burned down. He said the fire cost him about Rp 600 million (US$248,241).

He said firefighters took action only after he offered them Rp 30 million, adding that he and 30 other shop owners agreed to pay. The 30 traders joined Dedy when he made the statements to the press at the fire site.

Dedy said he had given Rp 3 million in advance to a firefighter, identified as Irsan, on Monday morning, about two hours after the fire began.

He also blamed Harco's security officers, who he said were too slow responding to the fire. "They did not take the initiative to put out the fire as soon as it broke out."

The chief of the city fire department, Soeharso, did not deny Dedy's claim. "Those who gave money to my subordinates have played a role in damaging my corps reputation," he said.

He did not say if his subordinates should be punished for accepting money from fire victims.

Soeharso had said firefighters found it difficult to reach the fire because it was in the center of Harco Plaza.

The fire started to gut the Harco Plaza at 5:30 Monday. Police assumed the fire originated from an electrical short circuit at the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on the plaza's second floor.

The fire, which destroyed 300 shops at Harco and King Plaza, caused 2 billion (US$851,063) damage.

The head of Harco security guards, Yohanes Ataupah, said the guards did their best to fight the fire.

Five of his men who police questioned soon after the fire were on duty again yesterday.

Closed area

The fire scene was still sealed off yesterday. Traders who wanted to see the remains of their shops had to wait in front of plaza. They sat there with gloomy faces.

Most of the traders said they had not ensured their shops.

A drug store owner at Harco, A Sen, said he insured only a quarter of his merchandise. "I regret it," he said.

An owner of two watch shops at Harco Plaza said her request to insure her shops and her merchandise had been refused because her lease on the shops was going to expire.

A team from Jakarta Police Forensics Laboratory which came to the scene about 9 a:m yesterday left the site about 1 p:m with no results. "The thick smoke inside the building apparently stopped the officers from working inside," said Yohanes, head of the security guards at Harco Plaza.

Bambang S., who headed the team said the cause of the fire was still unknown because his team could not start its investigation.

The investigation will continue today.

Meanwhile, Deputy Governor for Administration Affairs Idroes and Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi visited the riot-hit Tanah Abang and fire-ravaged Pasar Baru yesterday.

Kahfi said 50 traders, who rented spaces from city market firm PD Pasar Jaya at the King Plaza, would be moved to the nearby Pasar Atom market.

He said employees of the Matahari department stores would be temporarily posted at all the store's city outlets.

The fire, which began about 5:30 a.m. Monday and subsided at 11 a.m. yesterday, gutted about 230 shops on the second, third and fourth floors of the Harco Plaza on Jl. Samanhudi, Central Jakarta and 99 shops in the neighboring King Plaza.

At 7:45 p.m. Monday, fire spread to neighboring stores, Grand Optic and Bazaar 123.

Among the largest stores destroyed were the Matahari Department Store outlets in Harco and King Plaza. No fatalities were reported.

The fire was under control at 11 a.m. yesterday after 35 fire engines from all mayoralties were deployed.

Governor Surjadi Soedirja said the administration had warned people of the danger of fire over and over again and called on them to give more attention to safety issues.

"Unfortunately, the people, including shop owners, are not responsive to our appeals," Surjadi said after a plenary meeting of the City Council yesterday. (ste/11/07)