Blast at Indonesia oil refinery; 150 hurt

JAKARTA, Indonesia – An explosion at an oil refinery in Indonesia early Saturday injured nearly 150 people and caused about 7,000 residents to flee their homes, police said.

The explosion took place at a joint Pertamina-Petrochina oil refinery in eastern Java province as workers tried to contain a gas leak by setting it on fire, local police chief Rumhadi said.

There were no deaths reported, but nearly 150 people were hospitalized suffering from respiratory problems after inhaling gas, said Rumhadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

“Police are still investigating the cause of the accident,” he said.

AP