Sidewalk in Badung Suddenly Explodes, Police Find Fuel Traces in Drainage Channel
A loud bang that ripped through the sidewalk on Jalan Raya Darmasaba, Abiansemal Subdistrict, Badung, this morning, uncovered a suspicious discovery. Police detected traces of fuel oil (BBM) in the drainage channel located directly beneath the explosion site.
Polsek Abiansemal, along with the Identification Team from Polres Badung, detected a pungent fuel smell and oil content in water samples flowing from a ventilation near the SPBU to the surrounding shop areas.
“The crime scene processing results indicate seepage or suspected fuel leakage entering the covered drainage channel. We also found a septic tank directly beneath the sidewalk in front of the salon, which suffered the most severe damage,” said Abiansemal Police Chief Kompol I Nyoman Karang Adiputra on Friday (17/4/2026).
The explosion occurred around 08:50 WITA. The bang was heard from in front of the SPBU, followed by smoke and dust emerging from inside the drainage channel. Several witnesses also saw the drainage ventilation briefly spewing flames after the explosion.
“The concrete cover damage to the drainage channel due to this explosion is estimated to span 25 metres to the south from the most severe point, starting from the area in front of the SPBU,” said Kompol Karang.
“This morning around 08:50 WITA, a fairly loud explosion sound emerged from in front of the SPBU, then smoke came out from the gutter and we immediately handled it using portable fire extinguishers. Several residents and workshop employees also saw flames bursting from the drainage ventilation,” he said.
To date, police are still awaiting technical investigation results from the SPBU’s internal expert team to accurately determine the leak point.
The affected area has been cordoned off by police to prevent residents from approaching the location, which still emits a pungent gas odour. Operations at the Darmasaba SPBU have been temporarily closed.
“We have taken water samples from inside the drainage channel for laboratory testing to strengthen evidence of the fuel content,” he said.