Industry Ministry deploys oversight team in response to Semarang herbal factory explosion

The Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) has deployed a Supervision and Control (Wasdal) team as a rapid response to the explosion and fire at PT Raw Botanical Nusantara, a herbal processing company in the Candi Industrial Estate, Semarang, Central Java. In an official statement confirmed in Jakarta on Friday, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said the measure was taken to conduct on-site verification, gather comprehensive information, and support the investigation into the cause of the accident. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday (1/7) at around 09.30 WIB, was immediately followed up by the ministry through coordination with the company and relevant agencies, he said. Agus expressed deep concern over the disaster, particularly regarding the fatalities and injuries. He stressed that occupational safety must be the top priority in every industrial operation. “We extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the deceased victims, and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured workers. This incident serves as a stark warning for the industrial sector to continuously tighten the implementation of Occupational Health and Safety (K3) standards, especially in the use of high-risk or high-pressure industrial machinery,” he said. As a follow-up, Agus instructed the Acting Director General of Agro Industry, Putu Juli Ardika, to immediately dispatch the Wasdal Team to the scene. The team is tasked with conducting field verification, compiling comprehensive information, and coordinating with law enforcement, local government, and the company during the investigation process. Based on the initial chronology report, indications of overheating in a high-pressure production machine began to appear around 09.30 WIB. This condition was followed by the explosion of a sterilisation tube in the rear production room between 09.45 WIB and 09.56 WIB. The explosion triggered a fire and caused part of the building structure to collapse before the fire was extinguished by firefighters at around 12.00 WIB. The incident resulted in the death of one worker, Muhammad Bryan Febryantoro, a resident of Mranggen, Demak. Additionally, seven other workers suffered minor to moderate burns. All victims have been evacuated and are receiving medical treatment at RSUD dr. Adhyatma, MPH. Acting Director General of Agro Industry Putu Juli Ardika stated that the preliminary suspected cause of the explosion was a malfunction of the sterilisation tube due to a surge in temperature and pressure exceeding the equipment’s design limits. Currently, all production activities at the factory are temporarily suspended to support the investigation process. “The company, together with the Forensic Identification Team (Inafis) of the Semarang Metropolitan Police, is currently conducting a crime scene investigation and in-depth analysis to determine the exact cause of the accident, including examining whether there was any element of negligence. We at the Directorate General of Agro Industry have also coordinated with the Head of the Centre for Standardisation and Pollution Prevention Industrial Services (BBSPJPPI) in Semarang to continue overseeing the handling of this incident,” said Putu. Kemenperin emphasised that it will continue to intensively monitor the progress of the investigation with relevant agencies. In addition, all manufacturing industry players in Indonesia are urged to conduct regular checks and calibration of machinery and production facilities to prevent similar incidents from recurring.