Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – Orange smoke was observed billowing from the chemical storage facility of PT Vopak Terminal Merak on Saturday afternoon, January 31, 2026. This incident caused residents in the Cikuasa area of Gerem Village, Cilegon, Banten, to experience respiratory difficulties suspected to be caused by the fumes.
The Mayor of Cilegon, Robinsar, inspected the factory after the incident. He arrived with the Cilegon Police Chief, Police Grand Commissioner Martua Raja Silitonga. "We are currently monitoring the situation. I demand that PT Vopak take immediate action to ensure the safety of our affected residents," said Robinsar through the official Instagram account of the Cilegon city government.
He admitted to receiving reports from residents that the orange smoke from the factory's activities had caused respiratory disturbances. Robinsar then requested that this incident be evaluated to prevent its recurrence. "There has been no apparent reaction on site, but there are indeed consequences. Residents also reported experiencing respiratory difficulties. I asked Vopak to document the affected residents in our area," said Robinsar.
The Cilegon City Government ensured that the Environmental Agency would check and test the ambient air quality, referring to the level of cleanliness or pollutants in the outdoor air. This practice is usually monitored through standard parameters such as PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and CO to ensure it is not polluted. Additionally, the local government has deployed healthcare services to examine and assist the affected residents after this incident.
Citing Antara, the orange smoke from the chemical plant area reportedly occurred due to a base oil leak during blowing activities. However, information on social media suggests that the orange smoke is related to nitric acid gas. Others compared it to a gas leak that occurred in Cape Town, South Africa.
A resident of Cikuasa Bawah, Wawan, gave the initial chronology of the incident. According to him, the smoke appeared around 2 p.m. "We were worried, so we recorded it on video. As a result, some residents felt nauseous and started vomiting," said Wawan.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2084336/cilegon-chemical-plant-leak-residents-suffer-respiratory-issue