MEDAN, INDONESIA – July 24, 2025 —
New footage reveals the aftermath of a massive fire that engulfed a cooking oil processing factory in Medan, North Sumatra, with firefighters still battling lingering flames 24 hours after the initial blaze broke out.

Initial video captured on Wednesday by Haris Alfa Rizki from a passing vehicle shows thick black smoke billowing into the sky as flames tear through the PT Agro Raya Mas facility. The scene along Mohammad Ilyas Street was blanketed in dense smoke, with occasional bursts of fire visible through the haze. Fire engines could be heard racing toward the inferno.

In dramatic scenes, employees were seen fleeing the compound, while 20 fire trucks were deployed to tackle the blaze. Several explosions were reported, although their sources remain undetermined. The fire was believed to have started around 4:00 p.m. local time, originating from a warehouse containing palm oil-based products such as cooking oil, margarine, and shortening.

A second clip, filmed the following morning by the same witness, shows the aftermath of the disaster: a charred, skeletal structure with smoke still rising from scattered hotspots.

By Thursday afternoon, firefighters remained at the scene, still working to extinguish the flames completely. While the fire had largely been brought under control, officials confirmed that multiple fire points persisted inside the damaged plant.

No fatalities have been reported, and all employees were safely evacuated. However, the financial toll is expected to be in the billions of rupiah, as most of the facility and its inventory were destroyed.