Explosion at Grand Polonia Luxury Home in Medan Triggered by Gas Leak

An explosion occurred at the Grand Polonia luxury housing complex in Medan Polonia District, Medan City, North Sumatra, on Monday (20/7) afternoon. Preliminary investigations suggest the blast was triggered by a leak from an underground gas pipe located inside the three-storey house. Medan Police Chief Senior Commissioner Jean Calvijn Simanjuntak stated that the cause of the explosion is still under investigation. However, based on initial findings, officers discovered indications of a gas leak from the underground pipe network. “The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. Western Indonesia Time. From the initial investigation, which is still ongoing, a leak was found in the buried gas pipe or underground gas pipeline,” Calvijn said at the scene. He explained that a joint team had conducted an inspection using gas detection equipment in the area of the house that suffered the most severe damage. The preliminary results indicated the presence of gas detected at the location. “We entered earlier using a gas detector and gas was indeed detected at the site. However, this is still an initial investigation and we will continue to look deeper to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion,” he said. The explosion caused damage to several houses in the surrounding area. In addition to the building that was the source of the explosion sustaining heavy damage, several other houses were also affected by the force of the blast. “As a result of the explosion, several houses were affected, especially broken glass and building material debris that hit the surrounding houses,” Jean Calvijn explained. Based on observations on Monday evening, police officers along with the fire department, state electricity company PLN, and other relevant parties were still securing and sweeping the location. A police line has also been installed to facilitate the crime scene investigation process.