Pertamina Boss Nicke Widyawati: Thank God, There Were No Victims Of The Burning Refinery In Balongan

President Director of Pertamina, Nicke Widyawati. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Pertamina Director Nicke Widyawati said there were no fatalities due to the burning incident of the Balongan refinery in Indramayu owned by PT Pertamina on Monday, March 29, early morning.

Nicke said, some of the victims of minor and severe burns injuries due to the burning of the Balongan Plant had also received treatment by medical personnel. In fact, some have returned to their homes.

"There are injured victims and all of them have been properly handled by the medical team and have also returned to their respective homes. However, there are still five people who are still being treated at the hospital. Thank God, there were no fatalities in this incident", she said in a virtual press conference, Monday, March 29.

Nicke also explained that in order to prevent further impacts, several residents in the nearest village from the burning incident of the Balongan refinery were evacuated by Pertamina. Pertamina built a shelter and shelter in a nearby location.

However, said Nicke, the latest news from some people has returned to their homes. Therefore, her party will carry out monitoring to ensure public safety.

"We continue to monitor this matter. We ensure that there will be no unsafe conditions for the people around the refinery", she said.

Nicke appealed to the public to calm down. To anticipate the occurrence of undesirable things and for the community to be safe, her party also blocked the road to the fire location.

"We ask local residents to stay calm and stay away from the fire site. To ensure that we apologize too because we blocked roads around the scene with the assistance of the Police and also the National Army (TNI). Of course, for us, the safety of the community around the refinery is a top priority", she said.

For information, the oil refinery in Balongan caught fire on Monday, March 29 in the early hours of the morning. Up to 6 hours after the incident, the fire was still burning. The refinery has a vital role.

Nicke said that until now her party was still working hand in hand in overcoming the fire. At least 10 fire engines have been deployed from Cirebon, Indramayu and Pertamina.

"The current condition, the fire can be localized. For extinguishing with foam in the center of the flame, so we make sure the fire does not spread to other areas. We are also cooling the surrounding areas", she said.