Missing people sought in Indonesia fire
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian rescuers and firefighters on Saturday searched for more than a dozen missing under the rubble of charred houses and buildings after a large fire spread from a fuel storage depot in the capital and killed at least 18 people.
The Plumpang fuel storage station, operated by state-run oil and gas company Pertamina, is near a densely populated area in the Tanah Merah neighborhood in North Jakarta. It supplies 25% of Indonesia’s fuel needs.
At least 260 firefighters and 52 fire engines extinguished the blaze just before midnight on Friday after it tore through the neighborhood for more than two hours, fire officials said.
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.
Rescuers were still searching for three people who were reported missing. About 35 people were receiving treatment in five hospitals, some of them in critical condition.
National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said more than 1,300 people were displaced and taking shelter in 10 government offices, a Red Cross command post and a sport stadium.
He said investigators were still working to establish the cause of the fire and questioning dozens of witnesses.
Pertamina’s head, Nicke Widyawati, apologized and said the company would provide help to the community and cooperate in the investigation.
On Saturday, grieving relatives gathered at a police hospital’s morgue in eastern Jakarta to try to identify their loved ones. Officials said the victims were burned beyond recognition and could only be identified through DNA and dental records.