Reported in the Jakarta Post
Around 300 portable gas tanks at the Jaya Gas LPG depot on Jl. Raya
Cilenggang, near the German Centre in Bumi Serpong Damai, Tangerang,
exploded on Tuesday. The explosions in broad daylight shocked residents
in the area. The blasts burned down the depot, two parked trucks, five
parked motorcycles and a house belonging to Ade, 45, who lives next
to the depot. No other buildings were damaged, as the depot and house
are surrounded by empty lots.
Five fire trucks were deployed and put out the fire in two-and-a-half
hours, said fireman Budi.
One of the depot's workers, Dumai Ekti, 24, suffered burns to his hands
from the explosion and was rushed to the nearest hospital for emergency
treatment. Eyewitness Ade said that a delivery truck and a pickup carrying
around 300 gas tanks together arrived at the depot kiosk at around 11:30
a.m. "Five workers were unloading the gas tanks when I heard a
noise that sounded like tanks hitting the ground. When they had just
unloaded five gas tanks, there was a sudden explosion and the fire spread
quickly out of control," he said.
Serpong Police chief Insp. Kostbar, however, gave a different version.
He said the accident took place at around 12:30 p.m. when one of the
workers was cooking in the kitchen. "There was a leak from a gas
pipe in the kitchen that caused the fire," he said. Gas depot operator
Untung was not at the site when the accident took place. He said later
that he estimated losses at Rp 1 billion (US$116,279) from the fire.
The police are continuing their investigation into the incident. |