Stephanie Riady, Jakarta – On the fateful Tuesday morning last week, an LPG gas cylinder explosion claimed the life of Muhammad Sofyan's beloved wife and left him fighting for his life with horrific burns to 35 percent of his body.
Such tragic cases, however, are not unusual. The Center of Public Interest Studies (Puskepi) has stated that there have been 78 recorded explosions so far this year, up from a total of 50 cases for all of 2009.
What is unusual is that Sofyan and his four surviving daughters that he must now care for alone have been given no financial assistance by state oil and gas company Pertamina.
The reason: The explosion in their Tangerang home was caused by a 12 kilogram, not a state-subsidized three kilogram, LPG cylinder.
"We have been told that we are not eligible for reimbursements because the insurance only covers explosions caused by three kilogram LPG cylinders," Sofyan's second eldest daughter, Yeni Yuniarti, told the Jakarta Globe.
Not only has the explosion torn the family apart, but the hospital bills that Sofyan, a small-scale entrepreneur, must pay are also proving crippling – the cost of the operations at state-owned Gatot Subroto Hospital in Jakarta will cost at least Rp 100 million ($11,000).
Yeni, 25, also a small entrepreneur, said the family home had been left in a shambles – the explosion that claimed the life of her mother had knocked over one of the house's brick walls, blown the roof off and left much of the furniture badly charred.
With the breadwinner of the family debilitated, Yeni has been forced to rely on the kindness of neighbors to help pay for the education of two of her younger sisters, Sisilahwati and Cindy, who are 12th and 7th graders respectively.
Pertamina has coughed up Rp 7.5 million to compensate for the death of Nursiah, Sofyan's wife, a fraction of the required amount.
Yeni said that after she appealed to Pertamina, they promised to supply an additional Rp 12.5 million compensation for the death, and additional support on a case-by-case basis.
"I went to Pertamina and asked [for the money], because my father's treatment requires a down payment of Rp 15 million, and we simply don't have it right now."
The sisters have vowed to make sure their father gets the medical care he so badly needs.
"We will do whatever it takes to get that money needed for my father's treatment," Yeni says. "I never ask money for small little things, not even for my father's medicine, but I pray that officials will at least help me finance his operations."
What is a life worth?
Pertamina spokeswoman Wianda Pusponegoro confirmed that Pertamina's government-mandated insurance policy only applied to those who used three kilogram LPG cylinders, which was part of the government's move in 2007 to shift from the use of petroleum to LPG in the household.
For three kilogram gas cylinder explosions, Pertamina pay a maximum of Rp 25 million for a death or permanent injury, Rp 25 million for hospital care, Rp 2 million for a funeral and Rp 100 million for material damage. The company has previously stated that is has so far paid out Rp 3 billion to victims.
Wianda said the compensation package was also dependent on the cause of the blast. "Our insurance program does not include 12 kilogram tanks because these tanks have been around and fine since the 1970s," Wianda said.
Furthermore, the program targeted those who were less financially well off, she says. Wianda said that while Pertamina will continue to provide assistance on a case-by-case basis and "any help beyond this is voluntary and out of Pertamina's etiquette of good will."
"If something happens, let us know, and we will discuss it with the leaders in charge."
Wianda, however, said that Pertamina had unfairly been blamed for the explosions. "Pertamina is only responsible for filling and distributing the tanks. Most incidents are caused by defects in the tanks and hoses – and we source these from outside."
Pertamina policy criticized
Pertamina's stance has been criticized as being inadequate. On Wednesday, members of the Indonesian National Committee of Youth (KNPI) peacefully demonstrated outside Pertamina headquarters in Central Jakarta, holding banners demanding that Pertamina take greater responsibility.
Another victim, Iswarni, said that though his son had lost his wife and home and suffered terrible burns after a three kilogram cylinder exploded in his Jakarta home in April, the family had been forced to sell a property in East Java to cover the medical expenses and cost of repairing the house.
Pertamina has since reimbursed the family for their expenses.
Iswarni, whose hands are badly burned and stiff, said he had two wishes. "First, I would like to fully recover. Secondly, I would like to be given some money to buy a drinks stand."
The list of grieving victims continues. Mulyati, whose five-year-old son Zidan Gilbran was badly disfigured as he passed Iswarni's home when the cylinder exploded, said she prayed Pertamina would pay for the plastic surgery for his face.