TNI Investigates Explosion at Ammunition Depot in Madiun

The Indonesian Army (TNI AD) has deployed an investigative team from the Army Equipment Centre (Puspalad) to ascertain the cause of an explosion at the Gupusmu II ammunition depot in Saradan, Madiun Regency, East Java. Brigadier General Donny Pramono, Head of the Army Information Service, explained that the incident occurred during routine maintenance and servicing of ammunition materiel. He stressed that the work was carried out in accordance with strict standard operating procedures (SOP) and established protocols, from the initial briefing through to field execution. However, Donny has not yet disclosed technical details such as the type of ammunition that exploded, early warning signs, or a provisional cause. He stated that a thorough investigation is required to determine the technical aspects and the cause of the explosion. ‘We are waiting for the investigative team regarding the type of munition and so on. I explained earlier, we cannot speculate on what exploded and what type it was. This incident happened during maintenance, which was conducted according to procedures and protocols, from the initial briefing to the execution,’ Donny told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday (16/7/2026). He affirmed the Army’s commitment to transparently sharing the investigation results with the public once the entire examination process at the site is completed. The investigative team is currently at the location and is in the process of conducting the inquiry. ‘The investigative team from Jakarta has departed; some have arrived, some have not. And as we know, when a munitions incident occurs, the handling cannot be haphazard. You cannot just go straight in. It may go through stages. Currently, a clean-up is likely underway, starting from the outer perimeter to the point of impact, where the explosion occurred,’ he said.