Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 16, over dozen missing

By TATAN SYUFLANA and NINIEK KARMINI
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers and firefighters are searching for more than a dozen missing under the rubble of charred houses and buildings after a large fire spread from a fuel depot and killed at least 16 people. The Plumpang fuel storage station, operated by state-run oil and gas company Pertamina, is near a densely populated area in North Jakarta. It supplies 25% of Indonesia’s fuel needs. At least 260 firefighters extinguished the blaze just before midnight on Friday after it tore through the neighborhood for more than two hours. A preliminary investigation showed the fire broke out when a pipeline ruptured during heavy rain, possibly triggered by a lightning strike. Some 1,300 people are displaced. Officials say they’ll remap safe zones for residents away from vital objects.