Accidents, fires mark holiday celebrations

Officials say that this year’s celebration of Idul Fitri in Jakarta was marked by hundreds of incidents, including fender benders and fires on takbiran night preceding the holiday celebration.

According to the Jakarta Traffic Police, 1,080 motorcyclists and drivers were fined for traffic violations on the eve of Idul Fitri on Tuesday.

Jakarta Traffic Police enforcement chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sudarmanto said on Thursday that most of the errant motorcyclists were fined for not wearing helmets while drivers were cited for carrying passengers on their rooftops.

Sudarmanto said one person was killed and three severely injured in five vehicle accidents on Tuesday night.

“The dead victim was run over by a bus in Matraman [East Jakarta]. Her name is Endang Bactiar, 27-years-old,” Sudarmanto said.

More than 126 accidents were reported in the city in the week preceding Idul Fitri, up from 110 in the same period last year, according to the Jakarta Police’s Ketupat Jaya operation command post, which secures the city and homeward-bound travelers.

Despite the increase in accidents, the number of fatalities stood at 19 for the 2011 holiday season, down from 25 last year.

The police also reported several fires in Greater Jakarta, including a blaze that destroyed three boarding houses in Kampung Rawa Bugel, northern Bekasi, on Wednesday afternoon.

There were no casualties from the fire as residents had already left for their hometowns at the time of the incident, according to reports.

The Bekasi Fire Department deployed three trucks to extinguish the fire.

The case was now under the investigation by North Bekasi Police, who reportedly suspect that the fire was triggered by a faulty gas canister.

A fire also razed a two-story Wisma Lestari boarding house in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Tuesday night, damaging the building’s second floor, where around 30 rooms were located.

Jakarta Fire Department chief Paimin Napitupulu said that there were nine fires in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Most were caused by fireworks used to celebrate Idul Fitri.

Despite the increase in accidents, the number of fatalities stood at 19 for the 2011 holiday season, down from 25 last year.