Fire Ravages 28 Kiosks in Cibodas Botanical Garden's Market Area

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As many as 28 kiosks in the market area of Cibodas Botanical Garden, one of popular tourist destinations in West Java Province, caught fire on Saturday evening, according to a fire fighter at the Cipanas Subdistrict Fire Department.

Four fire trucks were dispatched to extinguish the blaze that began ravaging the kiosks at around 10:45 p.m. local time, Ali, the fire fighter, told ANTARA on early Sunday.

"The blaze can have been put out at about 01:00 a.m. on Sunday," he said, adding that there were no fatalities in the incident while the causes of fire and material losses are still under investigation.

The kiosks belonged to local merchants who usually sold cooked food and clothing to visitors of this 84.99-hectare garden, Ali added.

Located on the slopes of Mount Gede about 110 kilometers away from Jakarta, the Cibodas Botanical Garden is famous among residents of the capital city's metropolitan area who want to escape their daily routine at the weekend.

Last May, an Amorphophallus titanum, or carrion flower, had bloomed at the botanical garden managed by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

According to Destri, a researcher of the Plant Conservation Centre at the garden, the flower had a total height of 352 centimeters, and a diameter of 166 centimeters.

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ANTARA