Death toll in Indonesia fuel depot fire in Jakarta rises to 19, three people still missing and more than 1,000 displaced

An aerial view of a residential area, after fire broke out at a fuel storage station operated by Indonesia's state energy company Pertamina, in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 3, 2023 in this photo taken by Antara Foto via Reuters.

JAKARTA, March 5 (Bernama): The death toll from a massive fire at a fuel depot in the Indonesian capital rose to 19 on Sunday, with three people still missing, officials said Sunday, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

At least 35 people suffered serious burns as a result of the blaze at the facility owned by Indonesia's national energy company Pertamina in Jakarta, according to data at the emergency post set up after the disaster.

The large blaze also destroyed homes near the depot, located in a densely populated district in North Jakarta.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but Pertamina said it was likely due to a leak in the pipeline that had been detected earlier in the day.

Fires at Pertamina facilities are not uncommon.

In 2021, a fire broke out at one of the company's refineries in West Java, displacing more than 1,000 people. - Bernama