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WORLD NEWS Monday 6 March 2023
Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 19; 3 still missing

By TATAN SYUFLANA and to move the depot away
NINIEK KARMINI from the neighborhood.
Associated Press "Not only in here, but all
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) state-owned vital objects
— Indonesian rescuers must be audited and re-
and firefighters on Sunday evaluated to determine
searched for three people a safe buffer zone for the
who were still missing after community, because this
a large fire spread from a involves human life," Wido-
fuel storage depot in the do told reporters after visit-
capital and killed at least ing a temporary shelter for
19 people. displaced people in North
The Plumpang fuel stor- Jakarta's Koja neighbor-
age station, operated by hood. National police chief
state-run oil and gas com- Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo A pet macaque stands on its owner's motorbike as people
pany Pertamina, is near a said a preliminary inves- inspect the damage to a neighborhood affected by a fuel
densely populated area in tigation showed the fire depot fire in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, March 4, 2023.
the Tanah Merah neighbor- was caused by a technical Associated Press
hood in North Jakarta. It problem involving excess Sri Haryati, a mother of Widyawati apologized and
supplies 25% of Indonesia's pressure as the depot re- three, said the fire began said the company would
fuel needs. ceived fuel from Pertami- to spread about 20 minutes provide help to the com-
At least 260 firefighters and na's Balongan Refinery in later, causing panic. munity and cooperate in
52 fire engines extinguished West Java province. "I was crying and imme- the investigation.
the blaze just before mid- "It was found that a fire oc- diately grabbed our valu- "We will carry out a thor-
night on Friday after it tore curred during a filling of able documents and ran ough evaluation and re-
through the neighborhood Pertamax fuel," Listyo told a with my husband and chil- flection internally to pre-
for more than two hours, news conference late Sat- dren," Haryati said, add- vent similar incidents from
fire officials said. urday, referring to a type ing that she heard smaller happening again," Widy-
Footage showed hundreds of fuel oil produced by Per- blasts that echoed across awati said in a statement,
of people running in panic tamina. the neighborhood as or- adding that the company
as thick plumes of black He didn't elaborate as in- ange flames jumped from ensured the safe supply of
smoke and orange flames vestigators from Pertam- the depot. fuel oil.
filled the sky. ina and the police were Rescuers were still search- On Saturday, grieving rela-
Indonesian President Joko still working to confirm the ing for three people who tives gathered at a po-
Widodo visited the fire-hit cause of the fire, including were reported missing. lice hospital's morgue in
areas on Sunday morning by questioning dozens of About 35 people were re- eastern Jakarta to try to
to reassure people that the witnesses and examining ceiving treatment in five identify their loved ones.
government would help video recordings from sur- hospitals, some of them in Officials said the victims
those in need. veillance cameras. critical condition. were burned beyond rec-
Widodo said he has or- Residents living near the Listyo said more than 1,300 ognition and could only be
dered the minister of state- depot said they smelled people were displaced identified through DNA and
owned enterprises and the a strong odor of gasoline, and taking shelter in 10 dental records.
Jakarta governor to imme- causing some people to government offices, a Red In 2014, a fire at the same
diately find a way to relo- vomit, after which thunder Cross command post and fuel depot engulfed at
cate residents away from rumbled twice, followed by a sport stadium. least 40 houses, but no ca-
the fuel storage area or a huge explosion. Pertamina's head Nicke sualties were reported.q

Mediterranean countries push

for EU solidarity on migration

tries on the Mediterranean and Asylum Notis Mitarachi
Sea pushed back Satur- told reporters that just 1% of
day against their northern the migrants who arrived
neighbors for not accept- in those front-line nations
ing asylum-seekers under a along the EU's southern
voluntary relocation initia- border last year were taken
tive. in by other EU members un-
The ministers responsible for der a voluntary relocation
migration policy in Cyprus, program. Spain's interior
From left, Sweden's Ministry of Justice Maria Malmer Stenergard, Greece, Italy, Malta and minister, Fernando Grande-
Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Minister for Spain met in Malta's capi- Marlaska Gomez, said the
Home Affairs and Security of Malta Byron Camilleri, Italy's Interior tal, Valletta, ahead of an current process is "too slow,
Minister Matteo Piantedosi, Greece's Minister of Migration Notis EU ministerial meeting in too selective, with too few
Mitarachi, and Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus Brussels next week on mi- results and too little pre-
Costas Constantinou hold a press conference at the MED 5
conference held in Valletta, Malta, Saturday, March 4, 2023. gration. The countries start- dictability." He pledged to
Associated Press ed working together as the come up with a more ef-
MED 5 in 2021 to confront fective mechanism when
By K. SCHEMBRI ORLAND than a week after a deadly the challenges of illegal mi- Spain holds the EU's rotat-
Associated Press migrant shipwreck off Italy, gration. ing presidency in the sec-
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Less five European Union coun- Greek Minister of Migration ond half of 2023.q