Jakarta: After a large fire spread from a fuel storage depot in Jakarta and killed at least 19 people, Indonesian rescuers and firefighters searched for three people who were still missing under the rubble of charred houses and buildings on Sunday.

The Plumpang fuel storage station, operated by state-run oil and gas company Pertamina, is near a densely populated area in the Tanah Merah neighbourhood in North Jakarta. It supplies 25 per cent of Indonesia’s fuel needs.

260 Firefighters, 52 fire engines deployed

According to the fire officials, around 260 firefighters and 52 fire engines extinguished the blaze just before midnight on Friday after it tore through the neighbourhood for more than two hours.

Several heart-wrenching footage showed hundreds of people running in panic as thick plumes of black smoke and orange flames filled the sky.

Fire caused by technical issue: Police chief gen.

Taking notes from the situation, the National Police Chief General, Listyo Sigit Prabowo said a preliminary investigation showed the fire was caused by a technical problem involving excess pressure as the depot received fuel from Pertamina’s Balongan Refinery in West Java province.

“It was found that a fire occurred during a filling of Pertamax fuel,” Listyo told a news conference late on Saturday, referring to a type of fuel oil produced by Pertamina.

He did not elaborate as investigators from Pertamina and the police were still working to establish the cause of the fire, including by questioning dozens of witnesses and examining video recordings from surveillance cameras.

Residents living near the depot said they smelled a strong odour of gasoline, causing some people to vomit, after which thunder rumbled twice, followed by a huge explosion.

Rescuers were still searching for three people who were reported missing. About 35 people were receiving treatment in five hospitals, some of them in critical condition.

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1,300 people were displaced to safer places in Jakarta

Moreover, the National Police Chief General said that more than 1,300 people were displaced and taking shelter in 10 government offices, a Red Cross command post and a sports stadium.

Pertamina’s Head Nicke Widyawati apologized and said the company would provide help to the community and cooperate in the investigation.

“We will carry out a thorough evaluation and reflection internally to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” Widyawati said in a statement, adding that the company ensured the safe supply of fuel oil.

On Saturday, grieving relatives gathered at a police hospital’s morgue in eastern Jakarta to try to identify their loved ones. Officials said the victims were burned beyond recognition and could only be identified through DNA and dental records.

Similar incident

In 2014, a fire at the same fuel depot engulfed at least 40 houses, but no casualties were reported.

Speaking to the media, Indonesia’s State Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir said that the government will remap safe zones for residential areas away from vital objects.

He added that the incident showed the Plumpang area is not safe for the community and the government is planning to move the fuel storage depot to Tanjung Priok port in northern Jakarta.