Posted October 27, 2017 17:19:53

Relatives of the dead and local community members in Tangerang, a satellite city west of Jakarta, have recounted the terrifying moment a fire tore through a fireworks factory killing at least 47 people.

Police and forensic experts remained inside the factory throughout the morning, as the remains of the destroyed building continued to smoulder and smoke filled the air.

The ABC has been told by locals the factory only had one entrance in and out at the front of the building.

Police said a number of bodies were found in the back of the building.

"Most of the victims were piled up in the back because they were trying to avoid the fire from the front of the building," Senior Police Commissioner Nico Afinda said.

Police believe the fire was started by an electrical fault near the entrance leading to a number of subsequent explosions.

Photo: Relatives and locals gather near the charred remains of the factory, where 47 people lost their lives. (ABC: Phil Hemingway)

Mainly female workers were trapped inside and the ABC has been told a number of underage workers were also killed.

Police said 103 workers were employed by the company that they named as PT Panca Buana Cahaya Sukses.

It had been operating for just two months. Police are questioning the owner of the factory to establish if the business was legal.

Twenty-year-old Mamat said his sister was still missing.

"She's still inside at the back, she'd been working there for two weeks," he told the ABC.

"I think she has gone now."

He said his sister was paid 40,000 Rupiah a day, about $4, to work in the factory.

Photo: Local man Suki is still looking for his niece, who went missing in the fire. (ABC: Phil Hemingway)

Twenty-seven-year-old local Suki said he was looking for his 16-year-old niece, Surna.

He said he helped police break down a wall of the factory to enable workers to escape. Some were on fire as they ran from the building.

"There were three of us bashing at the wall, people were at the back, the partition door was locked, how could they get out?" he said.

"I didn't go inside, it was about to explode, if I go in I would die."

More than 20 workers are being treated in nearby hospitals, some with severe burns.

Police say they are confident all of the remains have now been removed from the site.

Topics: industrial-fires, indonesia, java, asia, pacific