A massive fire at the state-owned Pertamina Balongan Refinery, one of Indonesia’s largest oil refineries, broke out yesterday resulting in injuries and evacuation. The cause of this explosion is still unknown.
“The cause of the fire is not known with certainty, but at the time of the incident, it was raining heavily accompanied by lightning,” says the company.
At least five people are injured and around 950 residents have been evacuated to safety. A handful of people have been reported missing, reports BBC.
According to EcoWatch, Pertamina has caused environmental disasters in the past, including a weeks-long oil well leak that created a miles-wide oil slick that disrupted the local fishing and tourism industries.
The country relies on oil as its primary energy source, but the company assures that the fuel supply was not jeopardized.
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