Vendors scramble for temporary shelter

Vendors scramble for temporary shelter

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

"I hate Mondays."

The thought must have crossed the mind of more than 1,500
vendors at the Melawai market in Blok M, South Jakarta, as a fire
raged through two four-story buildings that housed their kiosks
on Monday.

There were no fatalities nor injuries but the vendors claimed
to have suffered at least Rp 750 billion in losses as only a few
vendors were able to retrieve their belongings.

According to Jakarta fire department head Johnny Pangaribuan,
fire broke out at 7:45 a.m., reportedly from a gold jewelry
workshop on the second floor of Building II, behind Aldiron
Plaza.

At around 11 a.m., after the fire brigade claimed to have put
out the fire, smoke was seen coming from a window on the second
floor of Building I, only eight meters from the first one.
Several vendors were busy evacuating their belongings.

At least 39 fire trucks from all over the city where sent to
the scene, but as of 4 p.m. fire had engulfed Building II. The
fire grew larger and spread to tents of temporary street kiosks
alongside the building.

"The closed rolling doors made it difficult for us to put out
the fire that spread to Building II," said Yanto, a fireman from
the South Jakarta fire department.

He also added that the buildings would be torn down as the
company plans to build a mixed-use complex consisting of a mall,
a hotel and apartment blocks on the 2.1-hectare site.

"We will find a temporary place for the vendors but will not
rebuild the buildings as it will be too costly," he said.

The Melawai market was built in the 1970s and grew to be a
trading hub that housed clothing shops, drug stores, tailors and
restaurants. The Blok-M area itself used to be a popular
entertainment venue in the 1980s. (003)