Ngo-May 15, 1998, enye yezinhlekelele ezishaqisa kakhulu emlandweni wase-Indonesia yenzeka enhliziyweni yayo, idolobha laseJakarta. Ibutho labaphangi abanolaka lithathe isitolo sakwaYogya ukuze liphendule imibono yabo emibi ibe yiqiniso.
Bangaphezu kwamakhulu amane abantu ababevaleleke esakhiweni sezitolo. Bebazi ukuthi, uma bezozama ukubalekela ibhilidi, bazolinyazwa yisiphithiphithi ngakho bahlala ngaphakathi kanti abanye abebezamile bebengakwazi ukuthola indlela yokuphuma.
Ngemuva kwesikhashana, lapho abanikazi bezitolo nezivakashi bebhikisha befuna ukuvikelwa, abaphangi bashisa lesi sakhiwo ngamabomu futhi sagcwala sonke isakhiwo esinezitezi ezine kungakapheli nemizuzu embalwa. Abantu abaneshwa bahlala bevaleleke esakhiweni esivuthayo ukuhlangabezana nokufa kwabo ngomlilo.
Lesi sehlakalo esinyantisa igazi sazamazamisa isizwe kanye nomphakathi wamazwe omhlaba, kwathi kamuva isibazi saziwa ngokuthi yi “Mei Kelabu” esikhombisa “uMay Grey” noma “May Tragedy”.
Kamuva ngonyaka ka-2000, isitolo somnyango sakhiwa kabusha njengesitolo sezitolo esisha esibizwa nge- “Klender Mall”. Kodwa-ke, kubikwe kude ukuthi umlando oqalekisiwe waleli bhilidi usayihlupha le ndawo. Njengabagibeli bamabhasi e-phantom abajwayele ukugibela uhambo ebusuku, bavele banyamalale ngamamitha angamakhulu ambalwa kamuva. Izisebenzi eziningi zezitolo zithi zizwa imisindo engajwayelekile efana netafula elibhidlika noma eliphihliza ingilazi noma umsindo wabantu abahambahamba nomsindo womuntu oshanela phansi. Abanye baze bathi babona iminwe eshisiwe emhubheni ongemuva. Ukwenza izinto zingajwayelekile, abahlanzayo bathola izinzwane zezingane zilele phansi ngaphambi kokuba kuvulwe inxanxathela nsuku zonke, kutholakala eyodwa kuzo zonke izitezi ngaphambi kokuba kuhlanzwe inxanxathela yezitolo ekuseni.
Ngaphandle kwalezi, idokodo lezingcingo lingabonakala lapho eliguqulwe laba yingxenye yalesi sakhiwo nalo alisuswa njengoba kukholakala ukuthi lingahle livuse imimoya eboshwe kulo.
Ngenkathi, abanye abantu abasondelene neKlender Mall ngomsebenzi wabo noma ngezinye izindlela bavele baziphike lezi zinganekwane ezihlekisayo kanye nokubukwa okuxakile njengoba bengakaze babone neyodwa yazo. Kodwa bonke bayazisola ngodlame lwangoMeyi 1998 nangalabo bantu abangenanhliziyo abashiswa ngonya baze bafa ngalesi sikhathi eKlender Mall Building.
