BOGOR, March 31 — A massive fire at an ammunition depot near Indonesia’s capital was extinguished early today, with the military sweeping nearby residential areas to collect materials which had possibly flown out during explosions.
The fire broke out yesterday at a military ammunition depot in Bogor, on the outskirts of Jakarta, at around 6.30pm (1130 GMT), causing a series of loud explosions and sending flames and smoke into the night sky. The military said no one was killed or injured.
The blaze was extinguished at around 3.45am today, said Jakarta’s military commander Mohammad Hasan.
“We are investigating the area around the location, and we are going to comb and clean materials that were thrown out of the depot,” he told the press near the site.
The military did not describe the objects but warned residents not to touch them as they could be dangerous.
Firefighters used robotic cars to help put out the flames. The military said it suspected the blaze had started due to unstable chemicals at a part of the facility where ageing ammunition was stored.
Hasan said the ammunition was stored in the facility because the military was in the process of disposing of them.
— Reuters
