Indonesia: Fuel Depot Fire in Jarkata Not Affecting Supplies

                                                                                                                                                                               No injuries were reported from the fire which burned for more than eight hours, but hundreds of residents in the area fled their homes as flames and thick smoke rose high into the night sky. Earlier witnesses reported hearing several explosions from the tank at the centre of the fire.

Anang Rizkami, a spokesman for Pertamina, told local radio the tank holds about 5 million litres of regular gasoline and distributes about 100,000 barrels of fuel to the Indonesian capital every day.

Pertamina said the fire would not affect supplies of fuel to Jakarta. The blaze sparked panic buying at some petrol stations, but Pertamina officials denied that the fire would lead to shortages. "Our fuel stock is enough, for now we do not need additional imports," Iin Arifin, Pertamina's vice president director, told local media. He also said that Pertamina had set up an investigation team to determine the cause of the fire.

PetrolWorld 190109   Photos: Aljazeera