The city administration announced Friday it would provide a temporary shelter for vendors at Senen Inpres Market, Central Jakarta, whose kiosks were destroyed in Thursday’s fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
“We are now considering the location [for the shelter],” Governor Fauzi Bowo told reporters.
According to Fauzi, the administration would first offer the shelter for book vendors, who were
earlier removed by the administration to the market from nearby Kwitang area.
Later, a Senen Market supervisor Bersimen Tinambunan told The Jakarta Post that the market operator had arranged a meeting with the fire victims, offering them to temporarily move to Paseban and Cikini markets, both in Central Jakarta, with no additional charge.
“But they refused because the markets are too far from their current location,” he said.
Bersimen said a group of vendor representatives were currently holding a discussion with city-owned traditional market operator PD Pasar Jaya to talk about the most feasible location for the vendors.
“So far, the vendors have proposed we use the footpath nearby Jl. Raya Senen and Jl. Bungur so
that they do not need to move too far and lose regular customers,” he said.
More than 300 kiosks and stalls were razed by a huge fire early Thursday morning at Blok VI of the Senen Inpres Market.
Most stalls damaged in the fire belonged to clothes sellers.
The fire broke out around midnight and was put out until 2 a.m. after the deployment of 29
fire trucks.
No injuries were reported as vendors had not started the days business.
Financial loss, however, is predicted to reach as high as Rp 8.5 billion (US$926,500).
There are currently a total of 2,300 kiosks at the market.
The police said they were conducting scientific investigation to trace the cause of the blast.
“We want the facts, not speculation,” Central Jakarta Police chief detective Comr. Suwondo Nainggolan said.
Pasar Jaya president director Djangga Lubis has quashed speculations that the blaze was an act
of arson.
In 2004, Pasar Jaya planned to renovate the market but some vendors turned down the idea.
The Senen market was constructed about 30 years ago under the governorship of Ali Sadikin.
Along with the market construction, the late governor set up the neighboring terminal.
In the 1990s, modern shopping centers such as Atrium Senen and sidewalk vendors have made
the area a major trade site in the capital.
Senen is also known as one of the busiest areas in the city thanks to the terminal and Senen train station, through which thousands of commuters pass each day.
A Senen vendor and fire victim Aritonang said he hoped the city administration approves their pledge to not be moved too far from their current business location.
“I lost three kiosks due to the fire,” he said.
“If the administration moves me away, I’m afraid I will lose valuable customers.”
