PIKIRAN RAKYAT - Following a large fire explosion from a fuel storage depot in the Indonesian capital that killed 18 people, firefighters and rescuers searched for more than a dozen people missing under the rubble of charred houses and buildings.
Located near the densely populated Tanah Merah neighborhood in North Jakarta, the Plumpang fuel storage facility, operated by the state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, caught fire on Friday night, causing a massive explosion.
At least 260 firefighters and 52 fire engines extinguished the blaze just before Friday midnight after it broke through the neighborhood for more than two hours, officials reported. At least 18 people died, 38 suffered from first-degree burns, and more than 22 went missing.
In search for the missing, joint rescuers relied on heavy equipment to clear the charred rubble, which hindered the rescuers from evacuating the victims, the Chief Police Officer of North Jakarta Region, Kombes Pol Gidion Arif Setiawan, told reporters.
"We will utilize heavy equipment this night. We focus on clearing the huge rubble from collapsed buildings. The evacuation will start early tomorrow morning," Gidion Arif Setyawan said.
Footage and video circulated on social media showed hundreds of people running in panic as thick plumes of black smoke and orange flames filled the sky.
A preliminary investigation showed the fire broke out when a pipeline ruptured during heavy rain, possibly triggered by a lightning strike, said Eko Kristiawan, Pertamina’s area manager for the western part of Java.
Residents living near the depot said they smelled a strong odor of gasoline, causing some people to vomit, after which thunder rumbled twice, followed by a huge explosion at about 8 p.m.
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