Sidewalk in Bali Explodes, Suspected Fuel Leak

The sidewalk on Jalan Raya Darmasaba, Abiansemal Subdistrict, Badung, Bali, exploded. Police suspect a fuel (BBM) leak from the nearby petrol station (SPBU).

Abiansemal Police Sector, along with the Identification Team from Badung Police Resort, detected a pungent fuel smell and oil content in water samples flowing from vents near the SPBU to surrounding shop areas. Additionally, there is a septic tank beneath the sidewalk.

“The crime scene processing results indicate seepage or suspected BBM leakage entering the covered drains. We also found a septic tank directly under the sidewalk in front of the salon, which suffered the most severe damage,” said Abiansemal Police Chief, Commissioner Police I Nyoman Karang Adiputra, as reported by detikBali on Saturday (18/4/2026).

The explosion occurred on Friday (17/4) around 08:50 WITA. When it happened, a loud bang was heard from in front of the SPBU, followed by smoke and dust emerging from inside the drains.

“The concrete cover damage to the drains from this explosion is estimated to span 25 metres southward 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 spurting from the drain vents,” he said.

Police are still awaiting technical investigation results from the SPBU’s internal expert team to accurately pinpoint the leak location. The site has been cordoned off by police, and the SPBU has been closed.

“We have taken water samples from inside the drains for laboratory testing to strengthen evidence of fuel content,” he said.