"Pertamina Depot Makassar on Fire"One person was killed and three were injured when a fire broke out at a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) depot belonging to state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina near a densely populated residential area in Makassar on Saturday (JUne, 13 2009). The victim was identified as fuel tanker driver Najamuddin, 40, of Takalar regency. Reports suggest he may have fallen asleep while waiting his turn to refill his vehicle, as his body was found inside the cab of his truck. Pertamina spokesman Basuki Trikora Putra told reporters in Jakarta the fire broke out as tankers were being filled with LPG. Witnesses said two tankers were being filled with LPG, when a LPG hose became loose and fell, hitting the ground, which was covered with an iron plate. The ensuing spark caused an immediate blaze at the local retail fuel unit. "The fire spread quickly because the gas gauge was open," Jupri, one of the drivers whose truck was being loaded, said. Jupri said he fl ed the blaze, but not before it burned his ears and part of his shirt. The fire, which started at about 9 a.m. and took over an hour and a half to extinguish, also destroyed a gas tube fi lling shed, four tankers and hundreds of 12 and 3 kilogram gas tubes. The fire prompted residents living in a residential complex opposite the filling station to flee their homes. Three LPG reservoir tanks, with a total capacity of 2,500 metric tons, posed the threat of a much larger incident. Tanks which can 1,000 metric tons of LPG had reportedly been fi lled the night before the fi re. Thankfully, these larger stores of the highly inflammable substance were not ignited by the blaze. Makassar Mayor Ilham Arief Siradjuddin said at the site of the fire that according to the municipality's spatial planning policy the fuel depot had to be relocated. This regulation was made following a previous fire at the same depot. The municipal administration ruled that the fuel depot is too close to residential areas, as well as the Soekarno-Hatta Port. The mayor however said that Rp 700 billion (US$69 million) would be needed to relocate the residents. This accident was the third accident happen on Pertamina depot all around Indonesia. Indonesia Police explain that all of that accident were not terrorist action. The government makes no comment about it. Issues said that the revolving accident happen because of the displeasure on Pertamina Director election this year. The big question is why a great and bonafide company like Pertamina with its ISO's Quality cannot avoid this to be happen? Are this a deliberateness? Only God know!
Author: Andi Hajramurni and Alfi an Idris,
The Jakarta Post with a little modified Indonesia Today
Author: Andi Hajramurni and Alfi an Idris,
The Jakarta Post with a little modified Indonesia Today
