The massive explosion that occurred at the Pertamina Oil Refinery II Dumai -Sungai Pakning in Putri Tujuh, Dumai on Saturday (1/4) night caused local residents to run out of their homes. The loud blast accompanied by a blaze of fire made Ida (42), a resident of Tanjung Palas, Dumai, feel shocked and forced her to leave her home. In addition, hundreds of residents in the Jaya Mukti and Tanjung Palas areas rushed out of their homes and crowded at the gate of the oil refinery to see the actual condition.

The security at the Pertamina Dumai oil refinery was immediately tightened by police and military personnel to block residents from getting too close. Traffic around the Putri Tujuh oil refinery in Jalan Putri Tujuh also came to a standstill as many vehicles stopped.

As of now, Pertamina management has not issued an official statement regarding this incident. However, it was observed that firefighting and ambulance units were patrolling within the refinery area. Several residents reported hearing a loud blast that shook their household items. Even the explosion was heard as far away as Rupat Island.