Gembong Hanung, Jakarta – Thousands of fire victims in Kapuk Muara, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, remain in precarious conditions after a massive blaze destroyed their homes last Friday, prompting calls for the Jakarta administration to provide reconstruction aid or relocate them to safer, more permanent housing.
The fire reportedly started around noon in a semi-permanent structure within the densely populated neighborhood and quickly spread, destroying 485 houses and displacing some 3,200 people. Total damages are estimated at Rp 8 billion (US$492,064).
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung visited the site on Sunday and instructed several key agencies, including the North Jakarta Mayor's Office, the Jakarta Disaster Management Agency, the Health Agency and the Population and Civil Registration Agency to prioritize evacuee support.
"For those whose ID cards and other important documents were destroyed, the replacement process must be expedited," Pramono said in a statement, adding that the government is working to ensure that food, medical aid, and other immediate needs are being met.
"The weather has been hot, and residents asked for electric fans. Hopefully, we can meet all their requests as quickly as possible."
The administration will continue to monitor the situation and review options for temporary relocation and mid-term assistance, the statement went on to say.
Several victims interviewed by Antara on Monday expressed a desire to return to normalcy. One resident, Mustaqim, said he hoped to "rebuild his home with help from the government".
Deputy Jakarta City Council Chairman Wibi Andrino emphasized the need for dignified temporary housing and comprehensive basic aid, including food, clothing and medical care, while long-term solutions are being developed.
He also suggested vertical housing as a potential solution, citing the high risk of fires and poor living conditions in slum areas.
"Of course, the relocation approach must be humane, the administration has to ensure that any replacement housing is both affordable and livable," Wibi said, urging the city to use this moment to reflect and work toward safer and more equitable urban planning.
In response to the relocation idea, Governor Pramono's special staffer, Chico Hakim said, "for now, we're focusing on assisting the victims and meeting their needs at the shelters. All relevant agencies will hold a meeting to discuss the next steps."
Disaster risk expert Gusti Ayu Ketut Surtiari of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) warned that neighborhoods like Kapuk Muara are inherently prone to fires due to high density and unsafe construction practices.
"It requires a complete assessment to solve the issue [with densely populated slum areas]," she told The Jakarta Post on Monday. "We need to understand the root causes, from how fires start, to community preparedness".
She went on to mention that flammable building materials, exposed electrical wiring, and closely packed homes as major fire hazards.
Nafisatul Khoidah, advocacy coordinator at the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC), said the fire in Kapuk Muara highlights deeper structural problems in Jakarta's urban planning.
Aside from urging the city administration to guarantee post-disaster well-being for the victims, Nafisatul also pushed the government to ensure that the urban poor communities living in Jakarta can have access to land rights, fair economic distribution and other basic needs.
"The poor are the most vulnerable to all types of disasters," she told the Post on Monday.