TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As many as 268 families in neighbourhood unit (RT) 09 and 10 in community unit (RW) 08 in Simprug, Kebayoran Lama were evacuated after a fire broke out, early morning on Sunday, July 3, 2016.

Jakarta Police's Head of Public Relations Division, Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono said that based on eyewitnesses accounts, the fire began at a rented house leased by Sutarman, in RT 10. "Witnesses saw smoke coming from inside the house, and fire soon spread across its' immediate vicinity," said Awi at Jakarta Police's Headquarters on Sunday, July 3, 2016.

Awi explained that the fire broke out in a high-density residential zone, which made it easier for flames to spread out to nearby homes. In fact, the fires were only extinguished in the morning, after 25 fire trucks were deployed to fight the fires. No casualties are reported, but the exact amount of damage that it has caused has yet to be determined.

Since early on Sunday morning, aid for affected families have begun to flow in - including aid that were distributed by Jakarta's Social Agency. Food, including biscuits and instant noodles, as well as t-shirts, blankets, diapers have been distributed, and temporary shelters have been erected to house affected families.

INGE KLARA SAFITRI