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The
blaze in the manufacturing hub of Tangerang was one of the worst
industrial disasters to hit Southeast Asia’s biggest economy,
where safety standards are often weakly enforced. Police said
the fire started when sparks from a welding operation lit a
stack of raw materials used for making fireworks, causing at
least two explosions that could be heard miles away.
“The men are suspected of negligence that led to deaths,” said
Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono.
The owner of the PT Panca Buana Cahaya Sukses factory and an
operations manager were detained while police looked for the
welder. The owner was also suspected of employing underage
workers, police said. Neither of the two detained was available
for comment.
Tangerang regent Ahmed Zaki said on Friday that the company,
which had been operating for two months, had a permit for
packaging but not producing fireworks.
Preliminary investigations and witness accounts showed that more
than 30 victims were found at the back of the factory, where
they had run to try to escape while others had to break holes in
the walls to get out.
Police denied reports that the front gate and only exit of the
factory was locked at the time of the fire.
All bodies, many of them charred beyond recognition, had been
taken away from the gutted factory, and family members were
providing DNA samples to try to identify them.
Dozens of workers have been admitted to hospital with burns of
up to 80 percent of their bodies. Hospital officials said some
remained in critical condition and expected the death toll to
rise.
(Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa; Writing by Kanupriya
Kapoor; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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