Several Gegana bomb squad personnel from the Jakarta Police stand guard on Thursday in front of the destroyed building of pharmaceutical company PT Nucleus Farma in South Tangerang, Banten. An explosion occurred at the site at around 8.30pm. - Photo: Antara
JAKARTA: The police have launched an investigation into a mysterious explosion that occurred on Wednesday (Oct 8) night inside the building of pharmaceutical company PT Nucleus Farma in South Tangerang, Banten province.
South Tangerang Police Chief Sr. Adj. Comr. Victor Ingkiriwang said his office is working with the Gegana bomb squad from the Jakarta Police and the National Police’s Forensic Laboratory Center (Puslabfor Bareskrim) to determine the cause of the blast.
“Based on our initial investigation, we found no bomb or explosive residue at the scene,” Victor said on Thursday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
He added that nine witnesses, including company employees and local residents, have been questioned in connection with the incident.
Victor added that the Gegana bomb squad conducted a three-hour inspection of the Nucleus Farma building and its surrounding area and found no indication of any remaining threats.
“The police assure the public that the situation is safe and fully under control. We urge everyone to remain calm and avoid spreading or believing unverified information circulating on social media," he said.
The explosion occurred at around 8.30pm, when the company was not in operation and most employees had already gone home.
The blast severely damaged the four-story building and several surrounding structures.
The building’s front facade collapsed, the front canopy was torn down and windows on both sides were shattered.
A single-story warehouse next to the pharmaceutical facility used for storing medical equipment was also affected.
A car parked in front of the building was damaged by the force of the blast.
No casualties were reported in the incident.
Building security guard Vino, 37, said there were three people inside the building when the explosion occurred.
“We heard a huge explosion, and the ceiling collapsed on top of us. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. We only suffered minor scrapes,” he said on Wednesday.
The incident came less than a month after a powerful explosion struck a densely populated residential area in Pamulang, South Tangerang, just 18 kilometers from the site of the Nucleus Farma blast.
That explosion occurred at around 5am on Sept 12, nearly leveling four houses and causing significant damage to four others.
Seven residents, including a toddler, were injured in the blast. One victim later died while undergoing treatment.
A subsequent investigation revealed that the explosion was caused by a leak from a 12-kilogramme liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canister in one of the homes.
The gas had accumulated overnight and ignited when a resident turned on the stove, authorities said.
Just days prior to the Nucleus Farma blast, a gas explosion also occurred at LPG Bulk Filling and Transport Station (SPPBE) in Grobogan regency, Central Java, injuring 11 people.
The blast occurred at around 2pm on Monday during a routine refilling of 3-kilogramme LPG canisters.
According to reports, workers were inspecting the canisters for leaks during the filling process when a sudden explosion occurred, triggering a fire that quickly spread through the facility.
Authorities are currently investigating the incident. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
