The ruins of the Swallow sandal factory in West Jakarta, razed by a fire that was the largest in 91 years in the city and that claimed four lives, poses a danger to area residents after flames broke out again on Saturday.
Having still not made any public comments as of Sunday, the factory management, PT Sinar Jaya Prakarsa, has given Rp 325,000 (US$35.7) for temporary shelter to each family located close to the factory and thus threatened by a possible collapse of the three-story structure.
“Eleven families received money from the company,” Ewo Sutarso said. Ewo is the head of the neighborhood and community unit of West Jakarta’s Tegal Alur sub-district where the factory is located.
On Sunday, heavy machinery was used to dig up the ruins in an effort to find other possible victims still trapped there. Area residents have vacated their houses since the March 11 fire, Ewo said.
On Saturday afternoon, another fire broke out when the machine operators were removing material from the scene. Seventeen fire engines were deployed to put out the blaze. No injuries were reported.
The area was declared safe on Sunday.
Firefighter Masari from Kalideres Fire Department said that flames and smoke were no longer visible from the site.
“The fire did not spread to the neighborhood. So far, there is nothing to worry about,” Masari said.
However, he added that another fire could possibly break out given the fact that there may still be chemical substances on the lower floors of the factory.
He said that the fire department had deployed firefighting teams in an effort to secure the clean up
process.
On Sunday, the fire department had three fire engines and 12 firefighters on standby at the location while factory employees salvaged the remains of their possessions.
“We don’t know yet how long we have to stay here. We’re deployed here at the request of the factory management,” Masari said.
Authorities have refused to facilitate press access to the company, saying that “there’s no reason
to believe the factory management will run away” since the factory and its owners were legally registered.
Kalideres Police chief detective second. Insp. Herru S.Y. said his investigators have questioned two company employees last Friday, Mike John and Kodiran, about how the fire may have started.
The company employs 1,175 workers, more than half of them were from third-party outsourcing firms.
It plans to compensate its non-subcontracted workers, now temporarily laid off, half of their monthly salary.
Kalideres Police said it had not identified the cause of the first fire.
Firefighters took almost a week to extinguish the fire, claiming it was “the most difficult blaze it had handled in 91 years” because chemical spills under the rubble continuously fed the flames.
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