At least 46 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a blaze that tore through a fireworks factory on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital Jakarta, police said Thursday, triggering blasts and sending plumes of black smoke into the air.
"We are still evacuating victims... there are 46 body bags. The evacuation is ongoing," Harry Kurniawan, Tangerang Kota police chief, told AFP.
The police revised the death toll down to 46 from their earlier figure of 47, but said about 10 people remained unaccounted for.
Many of the charred corpses of victims were found clustered at the back of the factory, police said, indicating there may have been a panicked rush to flee the flames.
A firefighter at the scene said the victims had been burned beyond recognition. "Those who died are completely unrecognizable, totally burnt," Oni Sahroni told Metro TV.
Parts of the building collapsed after being gutted by the blaze, which scorched nearby cars and motorbikes. Witnesses reported hearing blasts erupt from the site.
The blaze, which broke out in the morning, was brought under control by late afternoon and authorities were working to recover the victims' bodies from the building.
Authorities have not yet said how the fire started, but have confirmed it began near the front door and quickly spread.
Video footage shot by an AFP stringer showed victims, covered in bandages, laid out on stretches and others with minor injuries sitting in the hallways or outside.
A factory worker at the hospital in Keramat Jati said the fire erupted in the middle of production.
"I don't know how it happened, I was working outside of the factory and there were some explosions, four cars exploded and almost all motorbikes also exploded," Ade, who suffered burns to his arms and legs, said.
