By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Indonesian military authourities have confirmed that no fewer than 14 people were killed and dozens injured in Indonesia’s capital Friday, after a massive blaze broke out at a state-run fuel storage depot before firefighters brought it under control.
The Army Chief of Staff, Dudung Abdurachman told reporters that the inferno which occured at the facility run by state energy firm Pertamina in Jakarta injured at least 42 others.
“The fire is already extinguished . At the moment, there are 14 victims who died The cause of the fire, which started after 8 pm local time (1300 GMT), was not clear, ”.he said.
“Among those injured were three children who were in a serious condition, Jakarta governor Heru Budi Hartono told broadcaster Kompas TV. The blaze forced the evacuation of densely populated neighbourhoods nearby but was put out several hours after it started,” Abdurachman told reporters.
The military chief and Pertamina said they were investigating the cause.
“Pertamina is focused on handling the fire and evacuating workers and residents nearby to a safer location,” the company said in a statement.
Jakarta’s main fire station said it had deployed 51 units and more than 250 firefighters to the site.
Footage shared on social media, which could not be immediately verified, showed people fleeing through narrow roads with a raging inferno in the sky behind them.
North Jakarta fire department chief Satriadi Gunawan told AFP that firefighters initially received reports a pipe had burst at the depot and officers quickly worked to contain the blaze from reaching nearby residential areas.
