JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesian firefighters were struggling to put out a huge fire that broke out at a military ammunition depot just outside the capital on Saturday, causing a series of explosions and sending clouds of smoke into the night sky.
No one was reported to have died in the incident, military official Mohammad Hasan told reporters at the scene, saying the fire had started in a part of the structure used to store expired ammunition.
“We have checked the location, the perimeters, there are no casualties,” Hasan said at a news conference near the Bekasi site on the outskirts of Jakarta.
“Expired ammunition contains chemicals that can be unstable… There may have been friction that started the fire,” he said.
Footage broadcast by local network KompasTV showed orange flames and billowing clouds of smoke rising into the night sky, while loud explosions could be heard several kilometers away.
Teams of firefighters and paramedics were seen near the site, but were unable to get close due to the fire, local media reported.
They said the fire started at 6.30pm (1130 GMT).
Local resident Arga Nanda told KompasTV that he heard a loud explosion that shook doors and windows. People ran into the street thinking it was an earthquake, he said.
Army official Kristomei Sianturi said canal authorities were evacuating people from nearby neighborhoods. Firefighters have not yet managed to put out the fire, he said, adding that its cause is unknown.
He also warned residents not to touch objects that could be “thrown” outwards by the explosions.