Jan. 20, 2004
The Associated Press
Photo: Smokes rise after a large explosion ripped through a chemical factory owned by PT Petro Widada near Indonesia's second largest city of Surabaya on January 20, 2004. At least 54 workers were injured, a police spokesman said. (Stringer/Indonesia/Reuters)
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Several blasts rocked a chemical plant in Indonesia on Tuesday, sparking a series of fires at the complex and injuring at least 52 people, police said.
The cause of the blasts was not immediately known.
Witnesses reported hearing large explosions at PT Petro Widada in the Indonesian town of Gresik in East Java province, police said.
Sgt. Gigi Dwi, an officer at the Gresik police station, said 52 people were injured but it was unknown whether anyone was killed. Rescue teams were finding it difficult to approach the plant because of the raging fires, authorities said.
PT Petro Widada is a subsidiary of PT Petro Kimia Gresik, one of the country's largest petro chemical industries.
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