Hundreds evacuated from fire at Indonesian oil refinery

At least 500 people were being evacuated from a nearby village on Monday after a massive fire broke out at the Pertamina Balongan Refinery in Indonesia’s West Java province.

Residents of Balongan village were moving to two evacuation centers .

Authorities urged residents to stay calm and keep away from the fire. Four residents injured while passing through the area suffered burns and were being treated at the Indramayu regional hospital.

Pertamina officials said the cause of the fire was not clear, but there was lightening and heavy rain at the time the massive fire broke out.

Television reports showed explosions and thick plumes of black smoke and orange flames filling the sky.

(Image Credit: AP)