A big hearth broke out at a gasoline storage depot in Indonesia’s capital on Friday, killing at the least 17 folks, injuring dozens of others and forcing the evacuation of 1000’s of close by residents after spreading to their neighbourhood, officers stated.
The Plumpang gasoline storage station, operated by state-run oil and gasoline firm Pertamina, is close to a densely populated space within the Tanah Merah neighbourhood in North Jakarta. It provides 25 per cent of Indonesia’s gasoline wants.
At least 260 firefighters and 52 hearth engines have been struggling to include the blaze within the close by neighbourhood, hearth officers stated.
Video of the fireplace broadcast on tv confirmed tons of of individuals in the neighborhood working in panic whereas thick plumes of black smoke and orange flames crammed the sky and firefighters battled the blaze.
A preliminary investigation confirmed the fireplace broke out when a pipeline ruptured throughout heavy rain, probably from a lightning strike, stated Eko Kristiawan, Pertamina’s space supervisor.
He stated the fireplace wouldn’t disrupt the nation’s gasoline provide.
Satriadi Gunawan, who heads Jakarta’s hearth and rescue division, stated folks dwelling within the residential space have been nonetheless being evacuated and have been being taken to a close-by village corridor and a mosque.
“The fire caused several explosions and quickly spread to residential houses,” Gunawan stated.
He stated at the least 17 folks have been useless, together with two kids, and 50 had been hospitalised, some with extreme burns.
Indonesia’s minister of State-Owned Enterprises, Erick Thohir, expressed his condolences to the victims and their households and ordered Pertamina to completely examine the fireplace and give attention to shortly aiding the group.
“There must be an operational evaluation in the future. I’ll continue to monitor this case,” Thohir stated in a video assertion.
Friday’s hearth was the second massive blaze on the Plumpang gasoline depot. In 2014, a hearth engulfed at the least 40 close by homes however no casualties have been reported.
Fahmi Radhi, an power analyst, urged Pertamina and the federal government to right away transfer the depot away from the close by group settlements.
“Pertamina has been negligent by not using international standard security systems,” he stated in an interview with KOMPAS TV. He stated that for the reason that 2014 hearth there had been no efforts to place such a system in place and that common inspections must be carried out to keep away from future fires.
“Pertamina’s board of directors should be held responsible for this deadly fire by being dismissed immediately,” Radhi stated.
An oil spill in 2018 brought about a hearth that killed 5 folks and sickened tons of within the port metropolis of Balikpapan. Authorities stated it got here from a damaged pipe that Pertamina was utilizing to switch crude oil.
In March 2021, a hearth at Cilacap gasoline storage facility on the largest oil refinery on the principle island of Java prompted the evacuation of 80 close by residents and injured at the least 20 folks.
Cilacap is one among six Pertamina refineries with a processing capability of 270,000 barrels a day. Eight months later, greater than 900 folks have been evacuated after a hearth broke out on the Pertamina Balongan Refinery in West Java province.
Source: www.9news.com.au
