Fire Destroys 350 Stalls at Kramat Jati Central Market

Fire engulfed approximately 350 fruit stalls in the Block C2 Fruit Sub-Wholesale area of Kramat Jati Central Market, East Jakarta, at 7:24 AM.

Personnel arrived at the scene quickly

"19 fire trucks and 85 personnel were deployed to the scene. Firefighting efforts were still ongoing as of 9:25 AM," said East Jakarta Fire and Rescue Sub-agency (Gulkarmat) Head, Muchtar Zakaria, Monday (12/15).

He explained that the fire spread rapidly due to the abundance of flammable materials, such as plastic, wood, and carbide. The situation was exacerbated by strong winds blowing through the market area.

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"Preliminary suspicions suggest the fire was triggered by an electrical short-circuit. However, further investigation is needed to determine the exact cause," he clarified.

Meanwhile, a trader named Heri (37) revealed that the fire allegedly originated from a stall selling plastic products. Sparks were seen coming from the roof of the stall before quickly spreading to surrounding kiosks

"At first, sparks were visible coming from that plastic shop. The wind was also very strong, causing the fire to grow quickly," he explained.

According to him, traders and market management initially attempted to extinguish the fire using portable fire extinguishers (APAR).

"The fire grew fast; fortunately, personnel arrived at the scene quickly," he concluded.

Notably, the fire was successfully extinguished at 10:05 AM.

"N o casualties in this fire incident. The exact cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the authorities," he concluded.