Big blaze at Jakarta’s Pasar Senen market

An enormous fire engulfed a historic market in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta yesterday, with hundreds of firefighters deployed to battle a blaze that sent huge clouds of black smoke floating over the city.

The fire began at dawn on the ground floor of Pasar Senen market, a sprawling complex of stalls on several levels that was built during Dutch colonial rule. Fifty fire engines were deployed to battle the blaze, which was still going strong in the afternoon. Several people suffered from minor burns. It was not clear what caused the fire in the market, which is located in central Jakarta and sells goods such as textiles and food. Pasar Senen — which means “Monday market” in English — has been hit by several big fires in the past. PHOTO: AFP