State-owned oil and gas company Pertamina has shut down one of its biggest oil refineries in Balongan, Indramayu, West Java after a massive fire broke out at the complex, injuring at least 21 people.
The Indramayu health agency said the victims are being treated in hospital, mostly for burn injuries.
“In total there are 21 victims, 14 of whom suffered minor injuries while seven suffered severe injuries,” Indramayu health agency head Deden Boni Koswara said today.
Deden added that at least five of the victims were passing by the refinery when the fire broke out.
Around 1,000 residents living in nearby settlements have been evacuated.
A massive blaze erupted at the refinery in the early hours of Monday morning, with the fire still continuing to burn. Pertamina said it would need four to five days to completely extinguish the fire and for operations in the refinery to continue as normal.
The cause of the fire has not been officially established.
The oil and gas firm said it lost 400,000 oil barrels in the fire, but stressed that the incident will not disrupt the refinery’s processing capabilities and the national fuel supply.
