Tragedy in Kosambi
TANGERANG, KOMPAS – The accident involving a fire and an explosion at a firework factory in Kosambi, Tangerang regency, on Thursday morning was believed to have been exacerbated by the fact that the factory’s front gate had been locked during the incident. Some 47 people, mostly teenagers, died in the accident.
In a visit to the factory on Thursday evening, Jakarta Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Purwadi Arianto said 10 factory employees were still missing.
Purwadi explained that the fire was spreading from around the factory’s front gate, making it difficult for the workers to rescue themselves. “There was only one way out and many workers were trapped inside the factory,” Purwadi said.
As of 11 p.m. on Thursday, the ante mortem post at the National Police Hospital in Kramatjati had received 22 families of victims. The hospital had received 47 body bags from the incident. However, National Police medical and health center chief Brig. Gen. Arthur Tampi said the police still could not say for sure that there were only 47 deaths.
The factory has 103 workers, 46 of whom are currently being treated for injuries at Tangerang regional general hospital (RSUD), Mitra Husada Teluk Naga hospital and BUN Kosambi maternity hospital.
The search for victims was halted on Thursday night as it was already dark, making the search effort ineffective. “We have questioned three witnesses,” Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. R. Prabowo Argo Yuwono said.
Belimbing Maskota village head said 45 villagers, including 13 women, worked at the factory. Of these 45 individuals, 21 died in the accident.
Locked gate
Witness Yahya, 33, said the fire occurred at 9 a.m. At the time, a series of explosions was heard for one minute, ending in a huge blast and a fire in the factory’s front yard. The fire spread quickly and black smoke soon emerged. “The sky turned dark,” said Yahya, who works as a traveling stove repairman and was near the factory when the accident took place.
Tio, the manager of Salembaran Raya building located across the street from the firework factory, said he heard the sounds of workers banging on the factory’s front gate soon after the first explosion was heard. “Apart from banging on the gate, there were also screams for help from inside,” Tio said.
The factory had three-meter-high fences and five-meter-high walls.
Yahya said the gate was locked from outside and workers could not save themselves from the raging fire. Only those who could jump over the three-meter-high metal wall could save themselves. “Some of the male workers climbed and jumped over the wall. The others could only bang on the gate and scream,” Yahya said.
According to Tio, the front gate was unlocked several minutes later and around 15 workers were rescued. “However, there were still screams for help from inside the building. Locals then brought a ladder in and broke down the right side wall to rescue the trapped workers,” he explained.
Afterwards, despite the broken-down wall and rescued workers, he still heard screams from inside the factory. “There were numerous young women screaming for help from inside the factory,” Tio said.
A few minutes after the side wall was broken through, a second, bigger explosion occurred, cutting off the electricity cables inside the factory.
According to Yahya, who lives in an employee lodging of another company across the street, the firework factory managers always locked the gate from outside after all the workers got in. “As far as I know, there was no superintendent outside the gate,” he said. The factory has only been open for the past two months.
Tangerang regent Ahmed Zaki Iskandar said the factory violated the law if it hired underage workers. “The company must be held responsible,” Zaki said.
Kosambi district head Toni Rustoni said the factory had been registered as a firework maker since February 2017. Previously, the building housed a sand-sifting plant.
Pakuhaji and Kosambi district firefighting post commander Oni Sahroni said the factory might be equipped with light fire extinguishers. “Perhaps it was not enough to put out the fire as there were huge explosions,” he said.
Arthur said the fire victims would be identified by their DNA, as it was difficult to physically identify them. “It’s difficult to take fingerprint and tooth samples. The only way is by DNA check as it’s difficult to identify [the bodies]. None of the victims’ possessions were left intact,” Arthur said.
The body identification process may take months, as profiling alone will take two or three weeks. In order to help the DNA identification process, the police hopes that the victims’ family members, either their respective fathers, mothers or children, will come to the National Police Hospital in Kramatjati.
(DD01/DD16/DD17/PIN/WAD)