Fish Processing Factory in Pati Burns, 70 Percent of Building Destroyed

A devastating fire swept through a fish processing factory in Pati, Central Java, on Saturday morning, causing extensive damage to roughly 70 percent of the facility. The blaze, which was first reported around 6 a.m. on Jalan Juwana-Pati, prompted a significant response from local fire departments.

Firefighters battled the flames for hours, with efforts to fully extinguish the fire and conduct cooling operations on hotspots continuing into the afternoon. Iptu Windartono, the local police chief, confirmed the scale of the damage, stating, "Around 70 percent of this factory was affected by the fire. The impact on employees and production will automatically be hampered."

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, pending the results from the forensic laboratory team of the Central Java Regional Police. Police are awaiting their findings to determine the origin of the blaze. Significantly, no injuries or fatalities were reported because the factory had not yet commenced its daily operations, meaning no employees were present at the time of the incident.

The factory, which processes various seafood products, lost not only its building structure but also a considerable amount of inventory that was ready for shipment to consumers. Authorities are still assessing the total financial losses incurred from the incident. Thick smoke from the fire billowed into the sky, visible from a distance and reportedly affecting visibility for drivers on the nearby Pantura highway, prompting warnings for motorists to exercise caution in the area.