Karet fire victims still await ministry help

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Residents of Karet Tengsin district, Central Jakarta, are still struggling to rebuild their homes after a huge fire in early August.

Marhadi, a community head at the district, said that most of the victims had started to rebuild their houses again through borrowing money.

“Around 70 percent of the houses destroyed in the fire have been rebuilt. The owners borrowed money from here and there. But about 15 percent of the victims have had to stop rebuilding because they don’t have any money,” Marhadi said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

He said that many residents still awaited the Rp 11 million (US$1,230) of assistance promised by the Public Housing Ministry.

“We hope the money promised will arrive soon. People have come to me several times to ask about the money. I don’t know what to tell them,” he said.