Fire breaks out at major oil refinery in Indonesia

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – A massive fire broke out at an oil refinery in Indonesia's port city of Balikpapan in the early hours of Saturday but no injuries have been reported so far, local media said.

Firefighters were able to control the blaze that broke out at the Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI) oil refinery in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo on Saturday morning, local daily Jakarta Globe reported, citing a government official.

“Praise be to God, the firefighting team has managed to control the situation, and cooling efforts are currently underway," said Bayu Arafat, general manager of the Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI) Unit Balikpapan, in a statement released in Jakarta.

So far, no casualties have been reported, and there is no news on what caused the fire.

The local community first noticed the flames around 4:38 a.m. Central Indonesia Time. Several videos showing the raging inferno rapidly went viral on social media.

The statement added that firefighters are still working to ensure that no heat sources remain in the area.