At least 47 people killed in Indonesian firework factory explosion
At least 47 people were killed and dozens more injured after a fireworks factory in Indonesia exploded Thursday, Reuters reports. The disaster is one of the worst industrial tragedies in the country's history and has already exceeded the casualties of the San Pablito fireworks market explosion north of Mexico City in 2016. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams search the building.
"People were burned so badly you couldn't see their faces," said one such first responder, Deden Nurjaman. "It was really bad."
Around 100 people were employed in the factory, which is located just west of Jakarta. "We still don't know the cause of the fire and why there were so many victims," the local police chief, Harry Kurniawan, told The New York Times. "We are investigating whether this is an illegal factory."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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