Five injured, hundreds evacuated after massive blaze at Indonesia oil refinery

Indonesian state oil company Pertamina said on Monday it was trying to control a massive fire at its Balongan oil refinery in West Java and that five people had been injured and about 950 people evacuated because of the blaze.

Indonesian state oil company Pertamina said on Monday it was trying to control a massive fire at its Balongan oil refinery in West Java and that five people had been injured and about 950 people evacuated because of the blaze. The fire began just after midnight on Sunday evening, media reported, with videos shared on social media showing huge flames engulfing the refinery and a large explosion can be heard.

Pertamina said in a statement the fire at the refinery, which can process 125,000 barrels per day, took place during bad weather. "The cause of the fire is unknown, but during the incident there was heavy rain and lightning," Pertamina said.

A company spokesman later said five residents were being treated in hospital for burns. The state oil firm said it was shutting down the refinery and conducting "oil flow control" to prevent any further spread. It said fuel supplies had not been disrupted due to the blaze.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)