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n afternoon fire swept through dozens of stalls in a scavengers settlement in Karet, South Jakarta, on Monday, destroying discarded materials, mostly iron. No human casualties were reported.

The fire began on Jl. Garnisun at around 2 p.m. and was eventually brought under control at around 4 p.m. following the arrival of 17 firefighter units from the Jakarta Fire Agency.

Setiabudi Police chief Comr. Tri Yulianto said the incident took place at stalls owned by Toyo, a local resident. '€œThere were 25 to 30 stalls on fire. They were mainly loaded with old iron and plastic,'€ he said on Monday.

South Jakarta Fire Agency head Edi Sucipto said the cause of the fire, which broke out near Siloam Semanggi Hospital, was yet to be known.

'€œFor the time being, it is alleged that the incident was caused by an electrical short circuit in one of the scavenger's houses,'€ he said, adding that financial losses caused by the fire were also yet to be calculated.