[ad_1]
JAKARTA: Indonesian state oil company Pertamina said on Monday (March 29) that it was trying to control a massive fire at its Balongan oil refinery in West Java that injured five people and prompted the evacuation of 950 nearby residents.
The fire started just after midnight Sunday night, media reported, with videos shared on social media showing huge flames engulfing the refinery, while a large explosion can be heard.
Pertamina said in a statement that the fire at the refinery, which can process 125,000 barrels a day, broke out during bad weather.
“The cause of the fire is unknown, but during the incident there was heavy rain and lightning,” Pertamina said.
Ifki Sukarya, a Pertamina spokesman, later said that five people were being treated at the hospital for burns, adding that some were passing near the refinery when the fire broke out.
Television footage showed the fire still burning Monday morning and a huge plume of black smoke billowing from the site, which is located about 225 kilometers east of the capital Jakarta.
A nearby resident told Metro TV that he woke up to a pungent smell of oil fumes and saw lightning bolts in the sky.
“We first smelled a strong smell of fuel, so strong that my nose ached, while we heard the rays,” said Susi, who gave only one name.
“Suddenly the sky turned orange,” he said.
The state oil company said it was closing the refinery and carrying out an “oil flow control” to prevent further spread.
