The recently opened Neo Soho shopping complex in Tanjung Duren, Grogol was eaten up by a massive fire at 9 pm, Wednesday evening, November 9, according to the Jakarta Police.
The Jakarta Police’s social media account @TMCPoldaMetro tweeted Wednesday evening that the Neo Soho building located next to Mall Central Park’s superblock in West Jakarta was on fire.
At around 9:19 pm, the police reported: “The fire on the 6th to 12th floors of the Neo Soho building in Tanjung Duren, Grogol is still being handled by nine fire trucks.”
Police said smoke and fire were first observed from the 9th floor of the newly opened shopping mall, which is situated in the Podomoro City complex in West Jakarta. Reports indicated that the fire rapidly spread and burned most of the floors of the Neo Soho Apartments and some stories of the attached shopping mall.
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28-year-old Rahmat, a Neo Soho employee, claimed to have heard two explosions before the fire. He was in the basement of the shopping complex when he heard the first explosion at around 6:30 pm and the second around 7 pm before the fire broke out.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire and whether it caused any injuries.
Developed by Agung Podomoro Land, Neo Soho and Central Park are among the city’s several superblock shopping areas.
