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Depok Bellevue mall fire declared force majeure
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Firefighters take a break after extinguishing a fire that broke out at Cinere Bellevue Mall in Depok, West Java, on Oct. 5. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)
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nvestigation into a fire at Cinere Bellevue Mall, which is integrated with a 20-story apartment building, in Depok, West Java, has been halted as the Depok Police have declared it a force majeure.
The police informed the mall's developer, PT Mega Pasanggrahan Indah (MPI), of the decision through a letter.
"The termination of the investigation has emphasized that this incident was purely an [uncontrollable] accident, a force majeure," said PT MPI managing director Ronald Wihardja as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday.
Depok Police had previously stated that the cause of the fire was a short circuit in the building’s basement.
With the decision, Ronald added, the developer had a basis to proceed with building repairs and renovation. Hence, apartment occupants could soon move back into their apartments, he added.
The mall, which is located under the apartment building, caught fire in early October. The blaze was extinguished the next day.
Although the fire did not reach higher levels, apartment residents were trapped in the emergency exit areas due to thick smoke.
They were eventually rescued by firefighters, who used vehicles borrowed from Jakarta's Fire and Rescue Agency. (agn)
