Old video of gas station blaze linked to false claims over Indonesia's fuel policy
- Published on July 24, 2026 at 07:30
- 2 min read
- By Felix NATHANIEL, AFP Indonesia
A rise in petrol prices in Indonesia has driven up demand for state-subsidised fuel, but a video claiming to show a gas station razed by people angered by a policy supposedly barring owners of vehicles with unpaid taxes from buying it is false. The clip is actually from 2024, and the fire was started by an electrical short circuit. The policy also only applies to a single province in Indonesia, not the entire country.
"Vehicles with unpaid taxes are prohibited from refueling; angry residents burn down a gas station," read Indonesian-language text overlaid on a TikTok post published on July 7, 2026.
The 54-second video, which has been viewed more than 40,000 times, shows a gas station operated by Pertamina -- Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas company -- on fire as a worker tries to extinguish the flames.
The video circulated after the price of Indonesia's non-subsidised Pertamax RON92 petrol -- one of the country's lowest-priced fuel -- rose by 32 percent to Rp16,250 ($0.90) per litre (archived link).
Long queues have since formed at petrol stations operated by state-owned companies across Indonesia, as consumer demand shifted to subsidised fuel (archived link).
But the circulating video shows a petrol station fire caused by a short circuit and is unrelated to any new policy regarding fuel subsidies.
Video from 2024
A reverse image search on Google led to a report by Indonesian local news outlet Tatarmedia about a fire at a gas station in Subulussalam, Aceh, in northern Indonesia on October 10, 2024 (archived link).
The fire was reportedly caused by an electrical short circuit.
A subsequent keyword search found footage from another angle published by the Indonesian local media organisation Tribunnews on October 11, 2024, a day after the fire (archived link).
"The fire started while a Suzuki Carry pickup truck was refueling. Suddenly, an electrical short circuit occurred, causing sparks," the reporter said in the video report.
Google Maps Street View imagery of the gas station in Subulussalam also revealed structural features that correspond to those visible in the falsely circulated video (archived link).
A hoax
In a statement on its official Instagram, Pertamina labelled the video as a "hoax".
"Official information regarding subsidised fuel policies and government programmes is only communicated through official channels," it said in its Instagram story (archived link).
A Pertamina spokesperson also confirmed to AFP on July 22 that the circulating claim is "a hoax".
A subsequent keyword search found that only one region, East Nusa Tenggara province, had implemented a policy requiring outstanding vehicle tax to be paid before consumers could buy state-subsidised fuel (archived link).
The province also requires that vehicles registered outside East Nusa Tenggara must first switch to the region's number plates before purchasing the subsidised fuel.
No similar regulation has been found in other parts of Indonesia.
AFP has previously debunked misinformation related to fuel issues in Indonesia.
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