Call for safety checks as fuel storage fire kills 13 in Indonesia

Two kids are among the many victims and 50 different individuals have been admitted to hospital, some with extreme burns, hearth official says.

Two males have a look at burnt automobiles in Plumpang, north Jakarta on March 4, 2023, after an enormous hearth at a close-by gas storage depot run by state-owned vitality agency Pertamina [Aditya Aji/AFP]

Indonesian officers have referred to as for an investigation and an audit of state vitality firm Pertamina’s amenities after a fireplace at its gas storage station killed 13 individuals.

The fireplace, which began at round 8pm (01:00 GMT) on Friday from a gas pipe at Pertamina’s Plumpang gas storage depot within the capital Jakarta, shortly unfold to close by homes and despatched residents within the densely populated space right into a panic.

Authorities initially put the demise toll at 17 however revised it later to 13. Dozens had been injured and a whole bunch had been evacuated. The fireplace had been extinguished by early morning hours on Saturday, North Jakarta firefighter official Abdul Wahid stated.

“I've ordered Pertamina to instantly examine this case totally,” the Minister of State-Owned Enterprise Erick Thohir stated through his Instagram web page.

“There have to be an operational evaluation,” he added.

Sugeng Suparwoto, who heads the nation’s parliamentary vitality committee, referred to as for an audit of all of Pertamina’s amenities.

“All amenities, whether or not refineries or storage, have to be audited once more,” he stated on KompasTV, noting that Pertamina usually had hearth incidents at its amenities. Sugeng additionally stated there needs to be an even bigger distance between Pertamina’s storage depots and residential areas.

“For a facility with Plumpang’s capability, there needs to be a minimum of one to 2 kilometres distance with residential space,” he stated.

Plumpang, with a storage capability of greater than 300,000 kilolitres, is considered one of Pertamina’s largest gas terminals.

Firefighters battle the hearth at Pertamina’s gas depot in Jakarta [Willy Kurniawan/Reuters]

Native residents stated they may scent the gas about half-hour earlier than the hearth broke out, Abdul Syukur, who lives close by, instructed KompasTV.

“The scent was so sturdy there have been individuals throwing up and a few practically fainted,” he stated.

A preliminary investigation confirmed the hearth broke out when a pipeline ruptured throughout heavy rain, probably from a lightning strike, stated Eko Kristiawan, Pertamina’s space supervisor.

Whereas the station provides 25 % of Indonesia’s gas wants, he stated the hearth wouldn't disrupt the nation’s gas provide.

Thohir, the minister, expressed his condolences to the victims and their households. Pertamina’s chief govt officer, Nicke Widyawati, additionally apologised for the hearth and stated the corporate would “replicate internally to keep away from comparable incidents from ever occurring once more”.