Monitoring Desk
JAKARTA: At least 14 people were killed and dozens wounded in Indonesia’s capital on Friday after a massive fire broke out at a state-run fuel storage depot before firefighters extinguished the fire, the military said.
“At the moment, there are 14 dead,” army chief of staff Dudung Abdurachman told media, adding the fire at the facility run by state energy firm Pertamina in Jakarta wounded at least 42 others.
The reason for the fire, which started after 8 pm local time, was unclear.
Among those injured were three children in serious condition, the governor of Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono, told broadcaster Kompas Television.
Indonesia army chief of staff says fire extinguished
The fire forced the evacuation of nearby densely populated neighbourhoods but was put out several hours after it broke out, army chief of staff Dudung Abdurachman said.
“The fire is already brought under control,” he said.
Pertamina and the military chief said they were investigating the cause of the blaze.
“Pertamina is focused on extinguishing the fire and evacuating residents and workers nearby to a safer location,” stated the company in a statement.
The main fire station of Jakarta said it had deployed 51 units and over 250 firefighters to the site.
Footage shared on social media showed people fleeing through narrow roads with raging flames in the sky behind them.
North Jakarta fire department head Satriadi Gunawan said that firefighters initially received reports that a pipe had burst at the depot, and officers quickly worked to prevent the blaze from reaching nearby residential areas.
