JAKARTA – At least 16 people were killed and dozens injured in Indonesia’s capital yesterday after a massive blaze broke out at a state-run fuel storage depot before firefighters brought it under control, the military said.
“At the moment, there are 16 victims who died,” army chief of staff Dudung Abdurachman told reporters, adding that the blaze at the facility run by state energy firm Pertamina in Jakarta injured at least 42 others.
The cause of the fire, which started after 8pm local time, was unclear.
Among those injured were three children in serious condition, Jakarta Governor Heru Budi Hartono told broadcaster Kompas TV.
The blaze forced the evacuation of densely populated neighbourhoods nearby but was put out several hours after it started, army chief of staff Dudung Abdurachman told reporters.
“The fire is already extinguished,” he said.
The military chief and Pertamina said they are investigating the cause.
“Pertamina is focused on handling the fire and evacuating workers and residents nearby to a safer location,” the company said in a statement.
Jakarta’s main fire station said it had deployed 51 units and more than 250 firefighters to the site.
Footage shared on social media, which could not be immediately verified, showed people fleeing through narrow roads with a raging inferno in the sky behind them.
North Jakarta Fire Department chief Satriadi Gunawan said firefighters initially received reports that a pipe had burst at the depot. Officers quickly worked to prevent the blaze from reaching nearby residential areas. – AFP, March 4, 2023
