16 killed in fire at fuel depot

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At least 16 people, including 2 children, died in a fire at a fuel depot in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. Army Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman told reporters that at least 50 people were injured in a fire at the state oil company Pertamina’s Plumpang depot on Friday evening (local time).

The fire is now under control. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Abdurachman and the Pertamina group. Several densely populated areas in the area have therefore been cleared.

The massive fire broke out at the camp in northern Jakarta at around 8 PM local time (2 PM CET). In the footage broadcast on TV, people with fierce flames behind them are seen screaming and fleeing the narrow streets. While the firefighters were sent to the scene, the medical teams took the body bags to the hospitals.

250 firefighters on duty

According to the main fire station in the metropolis, more than 250 firefighters were deployed to respond to the blazes. According to North Jakarta Fire Chief Satriadi Gunawan, firefighters were initially told that a pipe had burst in the warehouse. Emergency services then quickly took action to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby residential areas.

“Pertamina is focusing on controlling the fire and evacuating workers and residents to a safer location,” the company said in a statement. Pertamina CEO Nicke Widyawati said they will “conduct a full internal assessment to prevent a similar incident from happening again.”

State Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir offered his condolences to the victims. “We are all sorry for this tragedy,” she said, urging Pertamina to fully investigate the incident.

In 2021, a major fire broke out at the Balongan oil refinery in West Java, also owned by Pertamina. The fire caused a huge explosion and lasted for two days. Thousands of people had to leave their homes from time to time.

(AFP)

Source :Blick