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Surabaya police chief Kombes Pol Luthfie Sulistiawan stated that the explosion in the San Antonio area of Pakuwon City was strongly suspected to have been caused by a gas leak. The blast took place at around 7:11 a.m. on Tuesday at a restaurant next to the sneaker shop, where staff had smelled gas before the detonation. Three 50-kilogram LPG cylinders were found at the site, all empty, with the leak believed to have come from connected piping rather than the tanks themselves.
CCTV from the adjacent Senikersku sneaker shop recorded the moment the wall was torn apart, with racks of shoes collapsing amid the blast wave. The footage matches the description in a video titled Watch: Moment Indonesian sneaker shop is torn apart by explosion and spread quickly after the event. Witness Rangga, aged 23 and working nearby, described to detik.com the sudden loud noise and ensuing chaos that affected multiple storefronts.
Five people, four men and one woman, suffered injuries and received treatment at Rumah Sakit Haji in Surabaya, according to the police chief. The explosion damaged around 41 buildings, five of them severely, with 15 houses behind the site also impacted primarily through broken glass. Antara News reported that most of the harm consisted of shattered windows and light structural issues across the commercial-residential cluster.
Investigators determined that the cylinders did not explode but had released their contents through the leak, prompting further analysis of the piping system. No explosives or suspicious materials were located, confirming the accidental nature of the incident. Police continue to question restaurant staff and examine maintenance records for the gas equipment.
Similar gas leak explosions have occurred elsewhere in Indonesia this year, including one in Riau province that damaged five homes and another in Jakarta that injured residents due to faulty regulators, as detailed in multiple Antara News dispatches. These events often involve commercial or residential gas usage and have led to calls for stricter equipment checks by local authorities. The Surabaya case adds to the tally of such accidents reported across various regions.
Emergency services from the Surabaya disaster agency responded promptly to secure the perimeter and assist the injured following the morning blast. Affected business owners in Pakuwon City have begun documenting losses from damaged goods and premises. The police chief indicated that the full investigation would determine any liability related to the gas installation.
