Fire breaks out and explodes at Indonesian ammunition depot, no casualties

Indonesian firefighters are battling to extinguish a fire that broke out at a military ammunition depot on the outskirts of the capital on Saturday (local time), setting off a series of explosions that sent flames and smoke into the night sky.

No one was reported dead or injured in the incident, military official Mohammad Hassan told reporters at the scene, saying the fire started in part of a facility used to store expired ammunition.

“We have checked the location and surroundings. No one died,” Hassan told a news conference near the scene in Bogor, a suburb of Jakarta.

“Expired ammunition contained unstable chemicals. It could have been some friction that started the fire,” he said.

Army official Kristomei Sianturi said authorities began extinguishing the fire hours after it broke out at 6:30 p.m. local time.

Firefighters and paramedics were initially unable to reach the scene, local media reported.

Video broadcast by local network KompasTV showed orange flames and billowing smoke rising into the night sky, while huge explosions could be heard kilometers away.

Local resident Arga Nanda told KompasTV that he heard a loud bang that shook the doors and windows. He said people ran into the streets thinking there was an earthquake.

Cristome said authorities were evacuating nearby communities. He also warned residents not to touch anything that could be blown away by the explosion.