REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Fire razed the second and third floors of Block 3 at Senen Market, Central Jakarta, Friday, prompting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Governor of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo to visit the scenes.

The Jakarta fire brigade deployed at least 43 fire trucks to extinguish the big fire that has been razing for hours since around 4 am local time. A number of security personnel are tightly guarding the area around the fire scene. 

The Senen Markets Block 3 accommodates traders who sell among other things vegetables, chicken and textiles. According to head of Indonesian Merchants Association, Abdullah Mansuri, the loss is predicted to reach more than 100 billion IDR. 

"We predicted the loss could be reach more than 100 billion IDR because almost the goods stocked in every shop worth more than 200 million IDR while the fire has burnt more than two thousands shops," Mansuri said. 

Regional Head of Fire Brigade and Disaster Mitigation in Jakarta, Subejo, said that most of the shops stocked textile. "Th cause of fire was a short circuit. Fire sparked first at lower floor where textile materials were stocked there," he said. 

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