Pasar senen dibakar - Jakarta

[Smallworld]

Yesterday on the morning I got news that Pasar Senen in Jakarta (block 3?) was burning. Since I was on my way to Jakarta I was expecting some disturbance on the roads ... however my journey went without any problems (thanks to waze I guess).

I wonder which one pasar is going to be next. I do feel sorry for all the people who have lost their businesses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GQKFdJgE8g

 

[sumyunggai]

usually it's done as insurance fraud / for redevelopment ?

 

[Puspawarna]

That footage is heartbreaking. What must it feel like, to be a vendor barely scraping by, seeing your little shop and all your inventory going up in flames like that?

 

[Smallworld]

That footage is heartbreaking. What must it feel like, to be a vendor barely scraping by, seeing your little shop and all your inventory going up in flames like that?

Not to mention their businesses are often taking credits, merchant loans from suppliers and paying astronomical amounts of money to have leasehold for 10-20 years.

A couple friends of my wife lost their businesses in King's plaza fire in Bandung (was it 2014? not sure).

I wonder what will happen with places like Pasar Baru in Bandung or Tanah Abang in Jakarta?

 

[waarmstrong]

usually it's done as insurance fraud / for redevelopment ?

That's not out of the realm of possibilities, but most news outlets report that Jakarta's very common neighborhood fires originate with jerry-rigged electrical connections, often put in place by do-it-yourselfers trying to bypass the PLN meter.

 

[Puspawarna]

That's not out of the realm of possibilities, but most news outlets report that Jakarta's very common neighborhood fires originate with jerry-rigged electrical connections, often put in place by do-it-yourselfers trying to bypass the PLN meter.

Very true. There was an article somewhere (probably JakPo or the Globe) in the last year or two, warning of what death traps many of those markets are. Many of them are structurally unsound and are ready to collapse go up in flames at any moment. So this kind of calamity is unsurprising.

 

[fastpitch17]

Pasar Senen has had 9 major fires since 74 or 76. It seems no one seems to want to make these things work. I guess they could call out the building inspectors to take a look. Ha Ha Ha

 

[dafluff]

Fires at markets are very common in Indonesia. The main one in Bali just burned down mid-last year. It is not surprising either. The lax attitude towards safety, the plain ignorance on how electrical installations work, ignoring fire codes, lack of even basic fire suppression systems etc etc, all contribute.