Jakarta – An official verified that a fire that ravaged the Gembrong Market neighborhood in East Jakarta on Sunday evening destroyed 400 residences and shops.
Gatot Sulaeman, the operational department chief of the East Jakarta Fire Control and Rescue Office, stated that the total area impacted by the fire reached 1,200 square meters.
“The fire destroyed 400 buildings, including residences and businesses, at RT (neighbourhood units) 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of RW (community unit) 01,” Sulaeman said on Sunday.
According to the department chief, the incident caused losses totaling Rp1.5 billion (US$103.5 thousand).
According to Sulaeman, the fire is believed to have been started by an electrical short circuit in a residence.
“(When the fire started), the homeowner alerted the neighbors, and inhabitants swiftly sought to extinguish the flame, but the fire quickly spiraled out of control and spread to other locations due to the majority of structures in the market being made of wood,” Sulaeman explained.
Sulaeman verified that the fire in the Gembrong Market was first reported to the authorities at 9:06 p.m. local time (UTC +7).
The local Fire Suppress and Rescue Office deployed a total of 130 firefighting personnel and 32 fire engines to control the fire, according to the office’s head.
Sulaeman emphasized that the large inferno area hampered efforts to extinguish the fire, as firemen took their time bringing it under control.
“Our initial attempt to extinguish the fire was initiated at 9:17 p.m. local time, and the cooling process in the area is still happening as of 4:30 a.m. local time (today),” he said.
The Gembrong Market, located on Basuki Rachmat Road in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, is well-known for its principal trade commodities, which include children’s toys and accessories.