Smoke rises above a fire at a crowded residential area in downtown Jakarta on Tuesday. The huge fire burned dozens of houses in Bendungan Hilir, but no casualties were reported. (AFP Photo) Update: Jakarta Blaze Leaves 1,100 Homeless
Ulma Haryanto | September 28, 2011
Hundreds of families in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, watched helplessly as their homes turn to soot in a massive blaze in the densely packed residential area on Tuesday.
At least 1,100 people have been left homeless after more than 70 structures, mostly leased space, were destroyed in the blaze.
“The fire is believed to have started at 11:20 a.m. in a home rented from a [person named] Soemarna. He has already been brought to Bendungan Hilir police station for questioning,” Second Lieutenant Parwadi said.
Soemarna told the Jakarta Globe that a boy renting one of the upstairs rooms ran downstairs and shouted “fire!”
“We went up together, but the smoke was already so thick,” Soemarna said.
Soemarna tried to extinguish the fire with pails of water, but was unsuccessful. So he gathered together residents and rushed them outside.
“When we came out we saw the fire had already spread,” he said. “We didn’t think of taking anything with us. Tomorrow my daughters have to go to school with the same uniform they wore today.”
Some 28 fire trucks took two hours to extinguish the blaze.
Three people were wounded by falling debris: resident Sasmito, 33, and two photographers, Toni Hartawan from Tempo and Gunadi from Jurnal Nasional.
Some of those left homeless have found shelter with relatives. For people with nowhere to go, several evacuation posts and a soup kitchen have been set up in the neighboring Al Falah mosque, some nearby offices and the house of Rita M., the RW 01 community unit head.
Irine, head of Central Jakarta’s social agency, said the soup kitchen will operate for three days. “We will provide three meals a day,” Irine said.
“Our soup kitchen can feed 660 people. We also have blankets as well as school uniforms for the children.”
Local Rita said that in the 20 years she has lived in the neighborhood, she had seen three major fires.
“The last time was in the 1990s and it was bigger than this, but this one affected more people since the area has become so packed,” she said.
Subejo, head of operations at the Jakarta Fire and Disaster Mitigation Office, said his office had conducted fire safety trainings for locals, but the program could not reach all Jakartans.
“We have a budget restraint, but next year we will intensify the training so people shouldn’t have to wait for us to put out the fires,” he said.
Zuleka, 23, said the only fire prevention notification she received came a couple of years ago when the head of her neighborhood unit told residents to purchase fire extinguishers.
“But who can afford fire extinguishers? I don’t think anyone bought it,” she said.
At least two more fires broke out on the same day in Central and North Jakarta.
Additional reporting by Zaky Pawas
At least 1,100 people have been left homeless after more than 70 structures, mostly leased space, were destroyed in the blaze.
“The fire is believed to have started at 11:20 a.m. in a home rented from a [person named] Soemarna. He has already been brought to Bendungan Hilir police station for questioning,” Second Lieutenant Parwadi said.
Soemarna told the Jakarta Globe that a boy renting one of the upstairs rooms ran downstairs and shouted “fire!”
“We went up together, but the smoke was already so thick,” Soemarna said.
Soemarna tried to extinguish the fire with pails of water, but was unsuccessful. So he gathered together residents and rushed them outside.
“When we came out we saw the fire had already spread,” he said. “We didn’t think of taking anything with us. Tomorrow my daughters have to go to school with the same uniform they wore today.”
Some 28 fire trucks took two hours to extinguish the blaze.
Three people were wounded by falling debris: resident Sasmito, 33, and two photographers, Toni Hartawan from Tempo and Gunadi from Jurnal Nasional.
Some of those left homeless have found shelter with relatives. For people with nowhere to go, several evacuation posts and a soup kitchen have been set up in the neighboring Al Falah mosque, some nearby offices and the house of Rita M., the RW 01 community unit head.
Irine, head of Central Jakarta’s social agency, said the soup kitchen will operate for three days. “We will provide three meals a day,” Irine said.
“Our soup kitchen can feed 660 people. We also have blankets as well as school uniforms for the children.”
Local Rita said that in the 20 years she has lived in the neighborhood, she had seen three major fires.
“The last time was in the 1990s and it was bigger than this, but this one affected more people since the area has become so packed,” she said.
Subejo, head of operations at the Jakarta Fire and Disaster Mitigation Office, said his office had conducted fire safety trainings for locals, but the program could not reach all Jakartans.
“We have a budget restraint, but next year we will intensify the training so people shouldn’t have to wait for us to put out the fires,” he said.
Zuleka, 23, said the only fire prevention notification she received came a couple of years ago when the head of her neighborhood unit told residents to purchase fire extinguishers.
“But who can afford fire extinguishers? I don’t think anyone bought it,” she said.
At least two more fires broke out on the same day in Central and North Jakarta.
Additional reporting by Zaky Pawas
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