Explosion at Waru Sidoarjo Steel Factory: One Dead, Inafis Team Confirms No Bomb Involved

A powerful explosion rocked the area of PT Great Wall Steel factory in Janti Village, Waru Subdistrict, Sidoarjo, resulting in one person dead and two others injured. The Inafis and Gegana teams from East Java Police, deployed to the site, confirmed that the incident was not triggered by explosives or a bomb.

The fatal incident occurred while several workers were cutting scrap iron using a blender welding tool. According to on-site statements, the explosion happened suddenly as the workers were cutting pipe-shaped iron material.

Two hours after the event, the Inafis and Gegana teams from East Java Police arrived at the location to comb the area in search of the exact cause of the explosion. Although it initially raised concerns, the thorough examination showed signs different from the characteristics of a bomb explosion.

“The explosion was not caused by a bomb or explosives. This is because no severe damage was found around the location, which is typically a hallmark of a bomb explosion,” said HRD Manager of PT Great Wall Steel, Heri Prasetyo, on Monday evening (6/4).

This incident claimed the life of a helper who died at the scene. Meanwhile, two of his colleagues who were near the explosion point sustained injuries and were immediately rushed to the nearest hospital for medical treatment. Heri Prasetyo confirmed that the activity being carried out at the time was a routine procedure for cutting iron. However, unfortunately, the pipe being cut exploded violently.

To date, the factory area remains under surveillance to ensure safety before operations resume. Police are still investigating whether there was any negligence or trapped gas pressure inside the old iron pipe as the main trigger for the explosion.