House of Representatives Urges TNI to Evaluate Ammunition Depot Location
Member of Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR), Tubagus Hasanuddin, has called for the investigation being carried out by the Indonesian Army into the explosion at the Army Centre Equipment Ammunition Depot II in Madiun Regency to be conducted thoroughly and transparently.
He said a comprehensive and transparent investigation is essential in this process to determine and confirm the factors that caused the ammunition depot to explode and claim lives.
“I also encourage an evaluation of the placement of ammunition depots if the location is too close to residential areas,” Hasanuddin said when contacted on Saturday, 18 July 2026.
According to him, if the location of the ammunition depot no longer meets safe distance standards, the depot should be moved away from areas near public settlements. The aim, he said, is to prevent a similar incident from happening again in the future.
However, he said the most important thing in this matter is the outcome of the investigation. Hasanuddin said the investigation results must serve as the basis for evaluating the ammunition storage, supervision and security systems.
“What must be noted here is that the team must ensure whether ammunition storage complies with safety standards, from the condition of the rooms, the temperature, to the arrangement. That will be extremely useful for the evaluation,” said the PDIP politician.
The Army Centre Equipment Ammunition Depot II in Saradan District, Madiun Regency, East Java, exploded on Thursday, 16 July 2026, in the afternoon.
Head of the Indonesian Army Information Service Brigadier General Donny Pramono said the explosion occurred while soldiers were carrying out inspection and maintenance procedures on ammunition materials in one of the storage depots.
“In this incident, one soldier was declared dead, four were seriously injured, and two others sustained minor injuries,” Donny said at a press conference on Thursday.
He said the TNI has so far been unable to confirm the cause of the explosion, as the investigation team deployed is still carrying out its duties in the field.
Donny added that to anticipate any unwanted events, the Indonesian Army has closed off access to the crime scene. During this process, only the investigation team has been given access to enter the blast area.
The Indonesian Army, he said, invites the public to give the investigation team some room to work optimally. “We also urge people to avoid speculation about the cause of the incident before the entire examination process is complete,” he said.