Ashish Ranjan
Indonesia Fire: At least 16 people were killed and dozens injured after a massive fire broke out at a state-run fuel storage depot in Indonesia’s capital on Friday, authorities said. Firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control.
The raging fire destroyed several homes, prompted people to flee in despair, and necessitated the evacuation of residential areas near the Pertamina depot in north Jakarta.
The fire claimed the lives of at least 50 people, including two minors, according to the Jakarta fire and rescue department.Satriadi Gunawan, superintendent of the department, told AFP that many of those killed and injured in the fire had suffered severe burns.The origin of the fire, which began after 8:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT), was unknown.
The fire was extinguished several hours after it began, according to army chief of staff Dudung Abdurachman.He stated, “The conflagration has already been extinguished.”Gunawan stated that firefighters were “chilling” the fire area after gaining control.Abdurachman, the military commander, and Pertamina stated that they were investigating the cause.
“Pertamina is focused on putting out the fire and evacuating neighbouring workers and residents,” the company said in a statement.Nicke Widyawati, the chief executive officer of the oil and gas company, stated that a comprehensive internal evaluation would be conducted to prevent a recurrence of the incident.
She stated that the nation’s petroleum supply had not been disrupted, as backup supplies from the closest available terminals remained secure.Heru stated that the government of Indonesia would contribute to the treatment of the injured.The country’s Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, Erick Thohir, expressed his condolences for the victims.
“We are all saddened by his calamity,” he said in a statement, urging Pertamina to conduct a thorough investigation.Television footage showed people screaming and fleeing through narrow roadways as a raging fire raged in the sky.As ambulance workers transported body bags to hospitals, firefighters were also shown rushing to the site to put out the fire.
Firefighters initially received reports that a pipe had burst at the depot, and officers worked swiftly to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent residences, according to Gunawan.The primary fire station in Jakarta reported that it had dispatched 51 units and over 250 firefighters to the Plumpang depot in north Jakarta.In 2009, a fire broke out at the same depot, and in 2014, 40 homes near the depot burned, but no injuries were reported in either instance.
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In 2021, an enormous fire broke out at the Balongan refinery in West Java, one of Indonesia’s largest oil refineries and also owned by the state oil company Pertamina.
The fire raged for two days and prompted the evacuation of thousands after a massive detonation.
