2023 Plumpang oil depot fire

Sometime around 8 PM local time (UTC+7), a fire broke out at the fuel depot. According to Pertamina's spokesperson, the fire had originated from the depot's receiving pipeline.^[7] It was suspected that a lightning strike had sparked the fire.^[8] Firefighters received a report of the fire at 20:11. The fire spread to a number of nearby houses,^[7] and local witnesses reported a loud explosion.^[9] Tens of local houses were burned, although by around 23:00 most of the residential fires had been put down.^[10]

Two firetrucks and ten firefighters were initially deployed, and this gradually increased to 52 firetrucks with 260 firefighters. By around 22:30, the fire had been localized and the blaze was put down by around midnight.^[11]

Tens of burn victims were evacuated to nearby hospitals. By 23:00 local time, 17 people had been confirmed killed, including two children, with over fifty injured.^[12][2] This was later revised down to 13 killed as of the following day, with three children among the killed.^[13] A further four bodies were found in Saturday morning in the ruins, increasing the death toll to 17.^[14] The death toll was updated to 19 the following day, with another 3 teenagers still missing.^[15] Around 600 people were evacuated overnight to the North Jakarta mayoral office and nearby public buildings.^[11] By 24 March, as more victims in hospitals succumbed to injuries, the death toll had risen to 33.^[1]

Fueling operations resumed at the depot by 04:00 local time the following day.^[16] Pertamina utilized several other fuel depots in Greater Jakarta to make up for the disruption at Plumpang.^[17] State-owned enterprises minister Erick Thohir stated his intent to relocate the residents living close to the facility.^[5] President Joko Widodo visited an evacuee camp on 5 March, and floated the options of either relocating nearby residents or to move the Pertamina depot to a reclaimed island.^[18]