At least 16 dead after fuel depot fire

Indonesian rescuers are searching for more than a dozen people missing under the rubble of charred houses and buildings, after a large fire spread from a fuel storage depot in the capital, killing 16 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 neighbourhood in North Jakarta. It supplies 25% of Indonesia’s fuel needs.

Footage showed hundreds of people running in panic as thick plumes of black smoke and orange flames filled the sky.

A preliminary investigation showed the fire broke out when a pipeline ruptured during heavy rain, possibly triggered by a lightning strike, san official said.

Residents living near the depot said they smelled a strong odour of petrol, followed by a huge explosion.

“I was crying and immediately grabbed our valuable documents and ran with my husband and children,” Ms Haryati said, adding that she heard smaller blasts that echoed across the area as orange flames leapt from from the depot.

Rescuers are searching for 16 people who were reported missing or separated from their families amid the chaos. About 49 people are 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 sports stadium.

He said investigators were still working to establish the cause of the fire and questioning dozens of witnesses.