Orange fumes from chemical terminal in Indonesia’s Banten sicken residents, trigger probes

INDONESIA: Orange-coloured fumes rising from a chemical storage facility in Indonesia’s Banten province sparked public concern and sent dozens of residents to health clinics.

The incident prompted inspections by local authorities and environmental monitoring, as officials ruled out a pipe or tank leak.

The fumes were seen billowing from a facility operated by PT Vopak Terminal Merak in Cilegon on Saturday afternoon, 31 January 2026. Videos circulating on social media platform X showed thick orange vapour drifting over residential areas near Cikuasa in Gerem village.

The area is an industrial zone located close to housing estates.

The footage quickly drew public attention and speculation about a possible hazardous chemical release.

Several residents reported feeling unwell shortly after the fumes appeared at around 2 p.m. local time.

Complaints included nausea, dizziness and difficulty breathing.

“We were worried, so we recorded it on video. As a result, some residents felt nauseous and started vomiting,” said Wawan, a resident of Cikuasa Bawah, describing the incident as alarming for the community.

Local health authorities later confirmed that dozens of residents sought medical attention.

According to Novita Ginting, head of the Pulomerak Community Health Centre, 56 residents from the nearby Kalibaru area visited clinics.

“Those who came reported similar symptoms — shortness of breath, dizziness and nausea,” Novita said. She added that medical staff could not immediately confirm whether the symptoms were directly caused by the fumes.

The patients included men, women and children.

All were treated according to their symptoms, and none required hospitalisation, according to the health centre.

Residents were advised to wear masks and seek further medical attention if symptoms persisted or worsened, Novita said.

Cilegon Mayor Robinsar inspected the facility shortly after the incident, accompanied by Cilegon Police Chief Police Grand Commissioner Martua Raja Silitonga.

 The visit followed mounting public concern over the viral videos.

“We are currently monitoring the situation. I demand that PT Vopak take immediate action to ensure the safety of our affected residents,” Robinsar said in a statement posted on the city government’s official Instagram account.

He acknowledged reports of respiratory disturbances among nearby residents and said the incident would be evaluated to prevent a recurrence.

“There has been no apparent reaction on site, but there are indeed consequences,” he said.

Authorities later said initial inspections found no damage or leakage in the facility’s pipes or storage tanks. Robinsar said conditions were already under control by the time officials arrived.

“It is confirmed that there was no pipe leak and no tank leak,” he said on Sunday, citing technical clarification received by the local government.

Police Chief Martua Raja Silitonga said the orange fumes resulted from a chemical reaction during a pipe-cleaning process, rather than an industrial accident. His statement was reported by local media.

“There was a chemical reaction involving nitric acid that was pushed using nitrogen gas to clean pipes towards a scrubber,” Martua said. He added that the substance then mixed with base oil in a storage container.

When the tank was opened, the interaction produced orange-coloured gas, he said. Authorities cited by Antara news agency also linked the fumes to a base oil leak during a blowing activity.

The explanation followed widespread speculation online that the vapour was nitric acid gas. Officials sought to reassure the public that the situation had been contained.

Despite these assurances, environmental monitoring was initiated. The Cilegon Environmental Agency said it installed four air quality monitoring devices inside and outside the facility to assess ambient air conditions.

Mayor Robinsar said the monitoring was a precautionary measure, even as authorities declared the surrounding area safe. “We are continuing monitoring as a form of caution,” he said.

Health follow-up measures are also planned. Robinsar said blood tests and further medical checks would be conducted at hospitals to rule out any long-term effects on affected residents.

“We want to ensure there are no ongoing impacts,” he said, adding that all residents who reported symptoms had already received initial treatment.

The incident also drew scrutiny from Cilegon’s City Council. Members conducted their own inspection of the facility following the reports of air pollution.

Deputy Chair of Commission IV, Aflahul Aziz Ahmad, called for a deeper investigation and urged authorities to impose sanctions if violations were found.

“If violations are proven, we ask for firm legal sanctions, because this has caused air pollution,” he said on Sunday. He added that the council would summon PT Vopak for a formal hearing.

The hearing is expected to focus on clarifying the origin of the gas seen in the viral footage and assessing whether operational procedures complied with safety and environmental standards.