Jakarta (BERITAPOLITIK.ONLINE) — An explosion and fire occurred at the Regional Ammunition Warehouse (Gudmurah) of Kodam Jaya in Ciangsana Village, Bogor Regency, on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at 6:05 PM. The fire was brought under control by the Fire Brigade by Sunday, March 31, 2024, at 3:45 AM.
Event Timeline
Major General TNI Mohamad Hasan, Pangdam Jaya, provided insights into the sequence of events.
The incident unfolded after the evening break fast. Notably, Warehouse 6 out of the 16 at Gudmurah experienced an explosion.
“At 6:05 PM, smoke was detected at Warehouse 6, Gudmurah Kodam Jaya,” Pangdam disclosed at the site on March 30, 2024.
Promptly, TNI personnel alerted nearby residents to remain calm and report any stray bullet casings.
“It turned out to be an explosion, prompting us to immediately notify the duty officer to inform locals about the incident,” he noted.
Pangdam confirmed the stored ammunition in Warehouse 6 had expired.
“Gudmurah houses expired ammunition and returns from various Kodam Jaya units,” he confirmed.
Approximately 160,000 types of ammunition were stored in the warehouse.
Pangdam reiterated no casualties or injuries were reported from the fire at Warehouse 6, Gudmurah Kodam Jaya.
“To date, we’ve surveyed our perimeter and found no casualties. Although we can’t enter the site directly due to the risk of minor explosions,” Major General TNI Mohamad Hasan stated.
All Fire Brigade Personnel Have Returned
Separately, the East Jakarta Fire and Rescue Service (Sudin Gulkarmat) informed that all personnel involved in firefighting at Gudmurah had been relieved. This occurred after extinguishing operations concluded on Sunday, March 31, 2024, at 8:15 AM.
“We’ve released all personnel while awaiting refueling. God willing, we’ll return to base soon,” said Gatot Sulaeman, Head of Operations Section (Kasi Ops) Sudin Gulkarmat East Jakarta, in Bogor Regency, West Java, on Sunday.
Gatot detailed approximately 140 fire brigade personnel, organized into 20 units, were involved.
“If from Jakarta, we dispatched 5 units from South Jakarta, 8 from East Jakarta, and about 7 from Bogor Regency. In total, roughly 20 units with around 140 personnel,” he explained.
He also highlighted the challenges faced during firefighting, including fear among personnel.
“The main challenge is our firefighting team, being novices with explosives. Nevertheless, with support and motivation, we successfully completed the task,” Gatot shared.
However, he noted that firefighting efforts at warehouses 5 and 6 had been completed by 8:15 AM on Sunday.
Previously, Major General TNI Mohamad Hasan announced the successful extinguishing of the fire at Gudmurah Kodam Jaya.
“We confirmed the fire was extinguished by 03.45 AM,” he stated in Bogor Regency, West Java, on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
Challenges in Handling Explosions and Fires
Echoing Gatot Sulaeman’s sentiments, Satriadi Gunawan, Head of the Jakarta Fire and Rescue Service (Gulkarmat), expressed concerns about potential explosions involving his personnel.
“The primary challenge is the risk of explosions. Therefore, we’re constantly coordinating with local authorities,” he remarked.
To mitigate risks, Gulkarmat deployed robots during firefighting operations at Gudmurah.
“Robotic assistance greatly enhances our operations in hazardous environments,” he acknowledged.
Moreover, challenges included distant water sources.
“Our second challenge is the availability of water sources, which are quite far. Hence, we’ve adopted a dynamic approach, with assistance from Bogor and Bekasi Regencies,” Satriadi explained on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
He elaborated on the dynamic water source system, requiring units to transport water from distant sources to the firefighting site.
No Loss of Life or Injured Soldiers
Pangdam Jaya Major General TNI Mohamad Hasan reiterated no injuries among TNI personnel within Kodam Jaya due to the explosion at Gudmurah in Ciangsana, Bogor Regency, West Java, on Saturday, March 30, 2024.
He also assured no evacuations occurred, as most residents were only exposed to the explosion sound and possible projectile debris.
“As of now, surrounding residents were only affected by the sound and possible projectiles. Our troops have been instructed to secure the area,” he affirmed.
During the press conference, Major General TNI Mohamad Hasan emphasized no casualties resulted from the ammunition warehouse explosion.
Drawing lessons from this incident, Beritapolitik.online hopes the TNI Commander will issue directives for security checks at ammunition warehouses nationwide. This aims to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Furthermore, Beritapolitik.online also urges Provincial and City/Regency Governments, particularly the Fire and Rescue Service, to review Water Hydrant placements to mitigate fire hazards. This includes residential areas and potential danger zones owned by the Government, TNI/Police, and private entities.
