PT GWS Pledges to Repair Residents' Homes Affected by Sidoarjo Factory Explosion

Management of PT Great Wall Steel (GWS), Waru Subdistrict, Sidoarjo, has expressed its commitment to taking responsibility for damage to residents’ homes around the factory area following the factory explosion incident that occurred on Monday (6/4) afternoon.

HRD & General Affairs (GA) of PT GWS, Heri Prasetyo, assured that they will compile data and coordinate with local village officials for the physical repair process of the affected buildings.

He admitted to having received information about several residents’ homes in the surrounding settlement experiencing minor damage. He emphasised that the company will not shirk responsibility for the explosion’s impact.

“So, perhaps it can be conveyed that for residents who indeed have damage, because we also couldn’t predict how far the explosion’s force reached the residents, clearly I ask the village head to compile and identify data,” said Heri on Monday night.

Heri added that coordination with the local village head has been carried out to ensure field damage data. The company management plans to visit the settlement locations directly to assess the damage conditions and determine the necessary rehabilitation steps.

“Tomorrow [today] perhaps I can come to the location and so on. Clearly, we are responsible. So, this is a message from the leadership like that. It’s fine, so each leader or regional stakeholder can convey it to us,” he said.

So far, there are four residents’ homes in Waru Subdistrict reported to have sustained damage from the explosion. Additionally, two residents’ homes in Kutisari, Surabaya, also experienced similar damage.

Previously, a loud explosion occurred in the steel smelting industrial area of PT Great Wall Steel (GWS) in Waru Subdistrict, Sidoarjo Regency, on Monday (6/4) afternoon.

Sidoarjo Police Chief, Commissioner Christian Tobing, said that based on preliminary investigations, the fatal incident occurred while several workers were carrying out metal cutting activities.

“The incident was at PT GWS, Waru Subdistrict. The chronology is that there were two people doing the cutting named P and J. Then, during the cutting of scrap iron using a grinder welder, an explosion occurred from the iron welding,” said Christian when confirmed.

Meanwhile, a truck assistant or external driver was reported to have died, allegedly hit by explosion shrapnel.

“Then there was a victim named initial R, who died,” he continued.

To ascertain the exact cause of the explosion and safety elements at the project site, a joint team from Sidoarjo Police Resort and the local police sector has been deployed. Additionally, the Bomb Disposal Unit (Jibom) Gegana of East Java Regional Police was also brought to the location for identification and processing of the crime scene (TKP).