Fireworks explosion kills dozens

BANGKOK — An explosion and blaze at a fireworks factory killed at least 47 people and injured dozens on Thursday near Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, authorities said.

The fire sent huge plumes of dense black smoke billowing above Tangerang, a city of about 2 million people just west of Jakarta.

About 100 people worked at the PT Panca Buan Cahyadi factory, and many apparently were trapped inside on Thursday morning, unable to escape. Some of the victims were burned beyond recognition, officials said.

In addition to the dead, at least 46 people, some with serious burns, were taken to hospitals, the police said.

The Tangerang police chief, Harry Kurniawan, said police were investigating whether the factory had been properly licensed to manufacture fireworks.

“We still don’t know the cause of the fire and why there were so many victims,” he said. “We are investigating whether this is an illegal factory.”

The plant, which was almost destroyed, was in a neighborhood of factories and homes. It was close to a junior high school and a few miles from SoekarnoHatta International Airport, the main airport serving Jakarta.

Chief Kurniawan said that a large amount of plastic and flammable material had been found on the site. The authorities were continuing to search for victims in the rubble of the factory, he said.