One hurt by exploding garbage

JAKARTA: It is not recommended to burn garbage, not only because of the harmful smoke and fumes, but also because of potential chemical reactions, as Darso, 31, discovered.

The chauffeur of a family living on Jl. Jeruk Purut, South Jakarta, was thrown two meters on Monday morning when his employer's outdoor concrete garbage receptacle exploded, tearing open his right knee.

Darso, who has worked for his employer for 15 years, said, "I never used gasoline before to burn garbage. It was only today that I poured a jerry can of the fuel in (the receptacle)."

South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Ghufron said the blast was caused by the ignited gasoline reacting with methane, which was generated by decaying garbage inside the closed receptacle. -- JP