Police described it as the most devastating blaze in the region in recent years.
“The fire occurred early Monday morning and was completely extinguished around 10:30 (a.m.) WIB,” head of the Ngawi Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit, Adjunct Police Commissioner (AKP) Aris Gunadi, said.
“The process took time because the hydrant wasn’t functioning and the fire point was difficult to reach.”
The warehouse contained highly flammable materials such as rubber, glue, and export-ready footwear, which fueled the rapid spread of the fire.
Seven fire engines were deployed from Ngawi, Madiun city, and Madiun district to control the blaze.
“We will conduct a thorough investigation (into the cause of the fire), including the possibility of negligence,” Gunadi said, adding that East Java’s police forensic lab will assist in determining the cause of the fire.
After the fire was extinguished and the site cooled, police cordoned off the area and began the crime scene investigation and questioning of witnesses, including warehouse staff and security personnel.
Security officer Riki Hidayat said that the fire was likely sparked by an electrical short circuit.
“There was a smell of burning cables. After checking, it turned out that the fire had started from one of the AC units and was burning the materials around it,” he said.
Firefighters had difficulty extinguishing the blaze because of the large volume of flammable materials, Hidayat informed.
All factory production activities at PT Dwi Prima Sentosa have been halted pending further investigation.
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Translator: Louis Rika Stevani, Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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