Fire at fuel storage depot Indonesia kills at least 18

Firefighters and rescuers in Indonesia on Saturday searched for survivors amidst rubble from buildings destroyed by a fire at a fuel storage depot. The Plumpang fuel storage station in northern Jakarta supplies 25 percent of Indonesia’s fuel. The fire burned for over two hours late Friday night before at least 260 firefighters extinguished the flames. Hundreds of people ran in panic, according to video footage from the scene.

What caused the fire? Preliminary investigations point to a ruptured pipeline that may have been caused by a lightning strike, said Eko Kristiawan, Pertamina’s area manager for the western part of Java. Nearby residents reported smelling gasoline so intense it caused some of them to vomit, and later heard the first explosion about 8 p.m. Officials are questioning dozens of witnesses as they investigate what caused the disaster. 

Dig deeper: Read Sharon Dierberger and Onize Ohikere’s report in WORLD Magazine about relief groups’ search among the rubble of Turkey and Syria’s recent earthquakes.