TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Deadly munitions disposal puts spotlight on safety
A deadly explosion during the disposal of expired ammunition by the Army in Garut, West Java, on Monday has raised concerns over the enforcement of safety standards.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
An officer from the West Java Police collects antemortem data and DNA samples from families of the victims of a blast that occurred during a disposal of expired military ammunition, at the Pameungpeuk Hospital in Garut on May 12, 2025. (Antara/Raisan Al Farisi)
A
n explosion that occurred during the disposal of expired ammunition by the Army in Garut, West Java, on Monday, which claimed 13 lives, including nine civilians, has raised concerns over the enforcement of safety standards by the Indonesian Military (TNI).
Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Wahyu Yudhayana said two batches of expired munitions, including grenades and mortar shells, had been safely destroyed using controlled detonations before the third attempt went wrong.
While Wahyu said the Army was still investigating the cause of the explosion and why civilians were in the area at the time, he was certain that the disposal had followed safety procedures.
“The personnel and the site were declared safe before the explosion,” he said in a video statement on Tuesday, noting that the site, located on land owned by the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), was far from residential areas and regularly used for disposal.
The Army has recovered the bodies of all 13 victims, including a colonel in charge of the warehouse. "The Army is fully responsible for assisting in all processes related to handling and burying of the victims," Wahyu said.
An amateur video that made rounds on social media shows civilians on motorcycles approaching the site shortly before the third explosion although it was unclear whether they were subsequently among the victims.
Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesperson Maj. Gen. Kristomei Sianturi said on Monday that civilians often came to the site to collect metal fragments, copper and iron from past disposals of munitions, Kompas TV reported.
