Fatal explosion at Serpong absolutely accidental: Police
Fatal explosion at Serpong absolutely accidental: Police
JAKARTA (JP): Police said yesterday that there were absolutely
no indications that last month's fatal explosion in a building at
the National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan) complex in Serpong was
the result of sabotage.
"Based on our investigation, the questioning of eyewitnesses,
on-the-spot observation and laboratory examinations, we found
that the blast was purely accidental, and not sabotage," National
Police spokesman Brig. Gen. K. Ratta told a press meeting
yesterday.
The one-star general said that the explosion occurred when a
flammable gas leak from an old container was ignited by a burning
cigarette butt thrown away by a staff member.
The explosion at the Batan Research Center for Reactor
Salvation Technology at 1 p.m. on Aug. 31 killed an agency staff
member and slightly injured another worker.
Petrochemical
According to Ratta, staff member Waluyo, 39, was smoking while
supervising Supriyanto, 26, a laborer who was painting the upper
segment of a wall at the building, which contained petrochemical
substances and equipment at the time of the accident.
Sparks from Waluyo's cigarette ignited a highly flammable gas
called ethyl methyl ketone peroxide, which was leaking from a
damaged container.
Waluyo suffered a critical facial wound and died on the way to
the hospital. Supriyanto suffered minor burns to his body. He was
admitted to a Tangerang hospital for treatment and later
released.
Ratta said the fumes of ethyl methyl ketone peroxide are more
flammable than those of pure gasoline.
The Batan research center is located, along with the
laboratories and research centers of other related institutions,
at the Science and Technology Research Center (Puspitek) complex
in Serpong, 30 kilometers southwest of the city.
Ratta said that fortunately the blast site was quite far from
the nuclear reactor at the complex.
There have been no radiation leaks reported in the wake of the
explosion.
Batan is the state-owned agency which administers the nuclear
research laboratory, along with the 30 megawatt research reactor,
provided by Siemens AG of Germany.
Two days after the explosion, Batan Director General Djali
Ahimsa had told reporters that he could not yet rule out the
possibility of sabotage being behind the explosion.
Although he refused to go into detail concerning his
suspicions, observers believed that Djali was referring to a
number of non-governmental organizations which are strongly
protesting the government's plan to establish Indonesia's first
nuclear power plant in the Muria peninsula, Central Java.
The Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), a non-governmental
organization, has demanded that the government thoroughly inspect
the extent of the damage and determine whether the blast caused
radiation leaks.
In order to avoid similar accidents in the future, the
National Police Headquarters has asked Batan to improve safety
management at the complex and to periodically monitor the
enforcement of safety regulations at the center.
"We have urged Batan to pay greater attention to the safety of
the workers and the complex as well," Ratta said. (bsr)