By Biodun Busari 

No fewer than 17 people were confirmed dead in a fire incident that occurred at a fuel storage operated by state energy company Pertamina in Plumpang, North Jakarta, Indonesia on Friday. 

The fire incident also injured 49 people and has forced 1,085 Indonesians to be homeless as they sought refuge in some nearby buildings, according to a local newspaper outlet, Antara News. 

According to the report on Saturday, the Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) had since embarked on evacuation of the the homeless victims of the incident. 

“Joint officers that are coordinated by BPBD have provided services to the evacuees,” Acting Head of Data, Information and Communication Center of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Abdul Muhari said here on Saturday.

The 1,085 people were evacuated to several locations: 356 evacuees at Rasella Child-Friendly Integrated Public Space, 258 evacuees at the Golkar Walang building, 132 evacuees at North Jakarta Red Cross Indonesia (PMI) office, and 79 evacuees at South Rawa Badak village head office.

Then, there are also 74 evacuees at the office of North Jakarta Manpower, Transmigration, and Energy Office, 63 evacuees at Al-Kuromas Mosque, 63 evacuees at As Sholihin Mosque, and 60 evacuees at Al-Muhajirin Mosque.

The joint officers have distributed food assistance, such as mineral water and ready-to-eat foods, as well as non-food assistance, such as mattresses, blankets, under-five child packages, family packages, sarongs, Muslim women’s prayer clothes, tarps, clothing packages, and childrenswear.

The BPBD recorded that several things that are urgently needed by the survivors are mattresses, family tents, blankets, mats, ready-to-eat foods, medicines, and clean water.

According to the BPBD, the fire incident claimed 17 lives, inflicted serious injuries to 49 people, and caused moderate injuries to two.

The seriously-injured and moderately-injured survivors have been treated in several hospitals, such as Pelabuhan Hospital, Mulya Sari Hospital, Firdaus Hospital, Pekerja Hospital, Tugu Koja Regional Public Hospital, and Koja Regional Public Hospital.

Several other medical facilities have also been readied to provide services to people affected by the fire.

Currently, officers are still searching for 18 missing persons.