{"id":4504,"date":"2023-03-04T15:41:55","date_gmt":"2023-03-04T15:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=4504"},"modified":"2023-03-04T15:41:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-04T15:41:55","slug":"18-dead-more-than-12-missing-in-indonesian-fuel-depot-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/politics\/18-dead-more-than-12-missing-in-indonesian-fuel-depot-fire\/2023\/03\/04\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"18 dead, more than 12 missing in Indonesian fuel depot fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

JAKARTA,<\/span> INDONESIA<\/span> (Reuters)<\/span> –<\/span> Rescuers<\/span> and<\/span> firefighters<\/span> in<\/span> Indonesia<\/span> found<\/span> dozens<\/span> under<\/span> the<\/span> rubble<\/span> of<\/span> charred<\/span> homes<\/span> and<\/span> buildings<\/span> on<\/span> Saturday<\/span> after<\/span> a<\/span> massive<\/span> fire<\/span> spread<\/span> from<\/span> a<\/span> fuel<\/span> storage<\/span> facility<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> capital,<\/span> killing<\/span> at<\/span> least<\/span> 18<\/span> people.<\/span> We<\/span> searched<\/span> for<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> one<\/span> missing<\/span> person.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Operated<\/span> by<\/span> state-owned<\/span> oil<\/span> and<\/span> gas<\/span> company<\/span> Pertamina,<\/span> the<\/span> Prang<\/span> Pang<\/span> fuel<\/span> storage<\/span> station<\/span> is<\/span> located<\/span> near<\/span> a<\/span> densely<\/span> populated<\/span> area<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Tanah<\/span> Merah<\/span> district<\/span> of<\/span> North<\/span> Jakarta.<\/span> supplies<\/span> his<\/span> 25%<\/span> of<\/span> Indonesia’s<\/span> fuel<\/span> needs.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Firefighters<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> fire<\/span> raged<\/span> through<\/span> the<\/span> neighborhood<\/span> for<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> two<\/span> hours<\/span> before<\/span> being<\/span> extinguished<\/span> by<\/span> at<\/span> least<\/span> 260<\/span> firefighters<\/span> and<\/span> 52<\/span> fire<\/span> trucks<\/span> just<\/span> before<\/span> midnight<\/span> on<\/span> Friday.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Footage<\/span> showed<\/span> hundreds<\/span> of<\/span> people<\/span> panicking<\/span> as<\/span> black<\/span> smoke<\/span> and<\/span> orange<\/span> flames<\/span> filled<\/span> the<\/span> sky.<\/span> Pertamina’s<\/span> West<\/span> Java<\/span> regional<\/span> manager<\/span> Eko<\/span> Kristiawan<\/span> said<\/span> preliminary<\/span> investigations<\/span> revealed<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> pipeline<\/span> burst<\/span> during<\/span> heavy<\/span> rains<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> fire<\/span> was<\/span> probably<\/span> caused<\/span> by<\/span> a<\/span> lightning<\/span> strike.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> local<\/span> resident<\/span> near<\/span> the<\/span> garage<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> strong<\/span> smell<\/span> of<\/span> gasoline<\/span> made<\/span> him<\/span> nauseous,<\/span> then<\/span> thunder<\/span> struck<\/span> him<\/span> twice<\/span> and<\/span> a<\/span> large<\/span> explosion<\/span> occurred<\/span> around<\/span> 8<\/span> p.m.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Her<\/span> mother<\/span> of<\/span> three,<\/span> Sri<\/span> Haryati,<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> fire<\/span> spread<\/span> about<\/span> 20<\/span> minutes<\/span> later<\/span> and<\/span> caused<\/span> panic.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cI<\/span> cried<\/span> and<\/span> immediately<\/span> grabbed<\/span> my<\/span> valuable<\/span> papers<\/span> and<\/span> fled<\/span> with<\/span> her<\/span> husband<\/span> and<\/span> her<\/span> children,\u201d<\/span> Hariyati<\/span> said,<\/span> as<\/span> orange<\/span> flames<\/span> erupted<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> warehouse<\/span> and<\/span> small<\/span> explosions<\/span> echoed<\/span> through<\/span> the<\/span> neighborhood.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Rescuers<\/span> were<\/span> looking<\/span> for<\/span> 16<\/span> people<\/span> reported<\/span> missing<\/span> or<\/span> separated<\/span> from<\/span> their<\/span> families<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> chaos.<\/span> About<\/span> 42<\/span> people<\/span> were<\/span> treated<\/span> in<\/span> five<\/span> hospitals,<\/span> some<\/span> of<\/span> them<\/span> in<\/span> serious<\/span> condition.<\/span> National<\/span> Police<\/span> Chief<\/span> Listyo<\/span> Sigit<\/span> Prabowo<\/span> said<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> 1,300<\/span> people<\/span> had<\/span> been<\/span> forced<\/span> from<\/span> their<\/span> homes<\/span> and<\/span> sought<\/span> shelter<\/span> in<\/span> 10<\/span> government<\/span> offices,<\/span> a<\/span> Red<\/span> Cross<\/span> command<\/span> post<\/span> and<\/span> a<\/span> sports<\/span> stadium.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>He<\/span> said<\/span> investigators<\/span> were<\/span> still<\/span> working<\/span> to<\/span> determine<\/span> the<\/span> cause<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> fire<\/span> and<\/span> were<\/span> interviewing<\/span> dozens<\/span> of<\/span> witnesses.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Pertamina<\/span> director<\/span> Nicke<\/span> Widyawati<\/span> apologized<\/span> and<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> company<\/span> would<\/span> support<\/span> the<\/span> community<\/span> and<\/span> cooperate<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> investigation.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> his<\/span> statement,<\/span> Mr<\/span> Widiwati<\/span> said<\/span> “a<\/span> thorough<\/span> internal<\/span> assessment<\/span> and<\/span> reflection<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> carried<\/span> out<\/span> to<\/span> prevent<\/span> a<\/span> similar<\/span> incident<\/span> from<\/span> happening<\/span> again”,<\/span> adding<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> company<\/span> is<\/span> ensuring<\/span> a<\/span> safe<\/span> supply<\/span> of<\/span> fuel<\/span> oil.<\/span> .<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>On<\/span> Saturday,<\/span> grieving<\/span> relatives<\/span> gathered<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> police<\/span> hospital<\/span> morgue<\/span> in<\/span> east<\/span> Jakarta<\/span> to<\/span> try<\/span> to<\/span> identify<\/span> their<\/span> loved<\/span> ones.<\/span> Officials<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> victims<\/span> were<\/span> indistinguishably<\/span> burned<\/span> and<\/span> could<\/span> only<\/span> be<\/span> identified<\/span> by<\/span> DNA<\/span> and<\/span> dental<\/span> records.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> 2014,<\/span> a<\/span> fire<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> same<\/span> tank<\/span> he<\/span> farm<\/span> destroyed<\/span> at<\/span> least<\/span> 40<\/span> homes,<\/span> but<\/span> no<\/span> casualties<\/span> were<\/span> reported.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Erick<\/span> Thohir,<\/span> Indonesia’s<\/span> state-owned<\/span> enterprise<\/span> minister,<\/span> told<\/span> reporters<\/span> the<\/span> government<\/span> would<\/span> re-establish<\/span> safe<\/span> zones<\/span> in<\/span> residential<\/span> areas<\/span> away<\/span> from<\/span> important<\/span> objects.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>He<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> incident<\/span> showed<\/span> the<\/span> Prangpang<\/span> area<\/span> was<\/span> not<\/span> safe<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> community<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> government<\/span> was<\/span> planning<\/span> to<\/span> move<\/span> the<\/span> fuel<\/span> storage<\/span> facility<\/span> to<\/span> Tanjung<\/span> Priok<\/span> port<\/span> in<\/span> northern<\/span> Jakarta.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (Reuters) – Rescuers and firefighters in Indonesia found dozens under the rubble of charred homes and buildings on Saturday after a massive fire spread from a fuel storage facility in the capital, killing at least 18 people. We searched for more than one missing person. Operated by state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[280,1034],"tags":[1445,1446,1447,1448,1449,1450,1451,1452,1453,1454],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/IND.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4504"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4506,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504\/revisions\/4506"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}