47 killed as blaze tears through Indonesia fireworks factory

Indonesia, (dawn.com/AFP), October 26, 2017 - At least 47 people have been killed and dozens injured in a blaze that tore through a fireworks factory outside the Indonesian capital, police said on Thursday, triggering explosions and sending plumes of black smoke into the air.   

The fire broke out at an industrial complex in Tangerang, a satellite city of Jakarta.   
“In total 47 people died. We don’t know for sure the number of people who are still unaccounted for,” Harry Kurniawan, Tangerang Kota police chief, told Kompas TV.  

Many of the bodies of the victims were found clustered at the back of the factory, police said, indicating there may have been a panicked rush to flee the flames.   

A firefighter at the scene said the victims had been burned beyond recognition.   

“Those who died are completely unrecognisable, totally burnt,” Oni Sahroni told Metro TV.  
The factory part of a complex that borders a residential area -- had only been operating for six weeks, district government official Toni Rustoni told Metro TV.