TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Idul Fitri holidays blighted by fire, flood

Several housing complexes in the capital were flooded and others were engulfed by flames as citizens gathered to celebrate Idul Fitri last week

Fikri Zaki Muhammadi (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, August 12, 2013

Share This Article

Change Size

Idul Fitri holidays blighted by fire, flood

S

everal housing complexes in the capital were flooded and others were engulfed by flames as citizens gathered to celebrate Idul Fitri last week.

The city has a long history of incidents during the Idul Fitri holidays, especially when people leave their houses to embark on the massive annual exodus. Empty houses are also targeted by burglars.

One died as fire spread across homes in Penjagalan subdistrict, North Jakarta, on Saturday afternoon. A resident, Abun, 54, reportedly died en route to Atma Jaya Hospital.

Kompas.com reported that Abun may have suffered severe shock after witnessing his toy store on fire. The North Jakarta Fire Agency said the victim actually had a heart problem.

The fire, which raged through 10 houses, was allegedly started by a short circuit in one of the houses.

Earlier in the day, the densely populated Padamulya Petak Kodok housing complex in Tambora, West Jakarta, also went up in flames. No one was harmed during the incident, but the fire agency revealed that at least 17 houses were damaged. Police are still investigating the cause of the fire.

In Jatinegara, East Jakarta, three died in a fire on Thursday. On the same day, around 3,000 citizens in Ulujami subdistrict, South Jakarta, had their Idul Fitri celebrations damped by inundation with as many as 400 people evacuated from the location.

Although the water receded two days later, residents were left with skin irritation, cold and fever.

Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo inspected the scene and distributed aid to the victims. He also instructed mayors to monitor areas affected by flooding.

The Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) recorded at least 16,000 people were affected by the heavy downpours last week. Two subdistricts in East Jakarta were flooded on Thursday and around 7,700 people were affected.

Meanwhile, five locations in South Jakarta and two subdistricts in West Jakarta were also flooded.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.