Death toll in Indonesia's fuel depot fire rises to 33

The death toll in a fire at an Indonesian fuel storage depot run by state energy firm Pertamina has risen to 33 with nearly a dozen more in critical condition, health authorities said on March 24.

Jakarta health agency spokesman Luigi said 11 people are still being treated in the ICU and their condition is serious.

On March 3, a blaze ripped through a nearby residential area, gutting houses and burning cars next to the depot in the capital city of Jakarta. It reportedly supplies 25% of Indonesia's fuel needs.

President Joko Widodo visited survivors and called on Jakarta's governor and ministers to find a solution to fuel depots located near residential areas to avoid a repeat disaster.

An oil spill in 2018 caused a fire that killed five people and sickened hundreds in the port city of Balikpapan. Authorities said it came from a broken pipe that Pertamina was using to transfer crude oil.

In March 2021, a fire at Cilacap gasoline storage facility at the largest oil refinery on the main island of Java prompted the evacuation of 80 nearby residents and injured at least 20 people. Cilacap is one of six Pertamina refineries with a processing capacity of 270,000 barrels a day.

Eight months later, more than 900 people were evacuated after a fire broke out at the Pertamina Balongan Refinery in West Java province./.

VNA