World
Indonesia fireworks factory explosions kill 47
Two explosions and a fire at a fireworks factory in the western outskirts of Indonesia’s capital killed 47 people and injured dozens on Thursday, police said, and the death toll was expected to rise, according to Reuters.Two explosions and a fire at a fireworks factory in the western outskirts of Indonesia’s capital killed 47 people and injured dozens on Thursday, police said, and the death toll was expected to rise, according to Reuters.
Thick plumes of dark smoke billowed from a factory warehouse in the Tangerang district of Jakarta, an industrial and manufacturing hub on the island of Java, TV broadcasts showed.
Hours later the burnout factory was still smouldering and there was a strong smell of burning plastic and chemicals.
Witnesses said there were two explosions, one at around 10 am (0300 GMT) and another about three hours later, both of which could be heard miles away.
“From the manifest we obtained, there were 103 workers. Of those 103 workers ... there were 46 who were injured,” Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono said. “We also found some who had died. There are 47 bodies.”
A search and rescue official, Deden Nurjaman, said bodies were still inside and he expected the death toll to climb.
Industrial safety standards in Indonesia are often low and rules poorly enforced. There have been a series of major fires this year, including one that engulfed one of Jakarta’s main markets.