Jakarta – The explosions that ripped through a military ammunition storage depot in Ciangsana, Bogor regency, West Java, on Sunday is reported to have damaged dozens of homes.

"Initial reports state that 31 houses were affected, including broken glass, cracked ceilings and cracked roofs," said acting Bogor regent Asmawa Tosepu after visiting the affected homes, approximately 100 meters from the depot.

The total losses caused by the incident are yet to be determined. Asmawa said the Bogor administration had 14 days to conduct an assessment, which includes calculating the number of damaged buildings, coordinating measures and determining subsequent actions.

The administration has coordinated with the central government and the West Java provincial administration to repair the damaged houses.

Ciangsana village head Udin Saputra reported that 324 residents were displaced, consisting of 99 women, 99 men, 40 children, 25 toddlers and 61 tenants of rental properties.

The village has also prepared several evacuation sites at the village head's house, a mosque, church and nearby hotel. However, Udin said that the church and mosque were now mostly vacant as the residents decided to seek shelter independently.

Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto confirmed that the owners of the affected houses would receive compensation.

"Yes, we will collect the data. It will be analyzed by the territorial officers, who are already working [on the data]. If there is damage to people's homes, we will compensate for it," Agus said.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak also apologized for the incident. "I apologize to the local community for this incident," Maruli said.

Maruli acknowledged that it was risky for the TNI to store explosive materials in the area. However, he was grateful that there were no casualties in the incident.

Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2024/04/01/ammunition-depot-explosion-damages-31-homes.htm