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Explosions rock military ammunition depot in West Java
The military also received reports that shells or projectiles might have landed in the surrounding areas and urged people not to touch the objects.
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Firefighters stand outside the entrance to a military ammunition warehouse, in Bekasi, West Java, on March 30, 2024. Multiple explosions ripped through a military ammunition warehouse on Saturday night, on the outskirts of Jakarta, the army said, with no casualties immediately reported. (AFP/Rezas)
M
ultiple explosions ripped through an Indonesian Army’s ammunition warehouse in Ciangsana, Bogor regency, West Java, on Saturday night, sending flames and smoke into the night sky. No casualties were immediately reported.
The first explosion was heard at around 6 p.m. at a depot used to store expired ammo inside a military complex.
Jakarta Military Command (Kodam Jaya) chief Maj. Gen. Mohamad Hasan said no one was reported to have died or been injured in the incident, saying the fire had started in a part of the facility that was used to store expired ammunition.
He said the exploded warehouse had no electricity and the explosion might have been caused by unstable expired ammunition.
"We've checked the location, perimeters, there are no fatalities," Hasan told a press conference near the site immediately after the incident.
"The expired ammunitions contain chemicals that can be unstable ... There could have been some frictions that sparked the fire," he said.
The military also received reports that shells or projectiles might have landed in the surrounding areas and urged people not to touch the objects.
Firefighters and paramedics were not initially able to reach the scene, according to local media reports.
Footage broadcast by local network KompasTV showed orange flames and billowing clouds of smoke rising into the night sky, while loud explosions could be heard from several kilometers away.
Local resident Arga Nanda told KompasTV he had heard a loud explosion that shook doors and windows. People ran out into the streets thinking it was an earthquake, he said.
Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Kristomei Sianturi said authorities had started extinguishing the fire several hours after it started.
Kristomei said authorities were evacuating people from nearby neighborhoods. He also warned residents not to touch any objects that may be been blown outwards by explosions.
