Herbal Factory Explosion in Semarang Industrial Estate Kills One

A powerful explosion rocked the production room of PT Raw Botanical Nusantara, located in the Candi Industrial Estate (KIC), Ngaliyan, Semarang, on Wednesday (1/7). The tragic incident resulted in the death of one worker and injuries to seven others. The loud blast from the herbal processing plant startled hundreds of residents and workers in the industrial area. Debris scattered across the site, causing chaos, with the factory roof collapsing in several places and fragments of material and sparks visible in the area. ‘The sound of the explosion was very loud. When I arrived at the location, the condition was already destroyed with a lot of debris scattered around,’ said Andi, 58, a local resident. Wati, 24, a worker at a nearby plastics factory, added that several ambulances were seen ferrying victims to hospital. Security personnel prohibited residents from approaching due to safety concerns over the unstable building. Ngaliyan Police Chief, Commissioner Aliet Alphard, confirmed that the factory, which produces herbal flour and natural extracts, suffered severe damage. One person, identified as Muhammad Brian, was killed. Seven other victims suffered burns and injuries from flying building materials. ‘The joint team immediately evacuated the victims, both the deceased and the injured, shortly after arriving at the location,’ explained Commissioner Aliet Alphard. Police have temporarily suspended the factory’s operations for investigation purposes. Preliminary findings suggest the source of the explosion was a sterilisation vessel in the production room. The blast was triggered by high pressure in the vessel, which contained water for the heating process. ‘Perhaps the vessel could not withstand the pressure and then exploded,’ Aliet said. The explosion caused part of the building wall to collapse and sent shards of glass and other materials flying towards the workers. Regarding the suspected presence of hazardous chemicals in the production process, police have not yet been able to provide confirmation, as this remains part of the investigation. It is also known that the factory did not conduct production activities every day.