15 killed, 43 badly injured as oil well catches fire in Aceh, Indonesia
Source: Xinhua   2018-04-25 17:28:38

JAKARTA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- At least fifteen people were killed and 43 others were seriously injured as an oil well in Aceh province of western Indonesia caught fire on early Wednesday, said officials.

"We are still collecting data on the number of victims because the fire has not been extinguished," Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency said in a statement.

All the injured are being treated in three hospitals in the province, said the press officer at the provincial disaster management agency named only Heni.

Soldiers, police, firefighters and volunteers are rushing to the site to contain the fire from spreading to the community residential area as the fire has engulfed five houses, said Heni.

The accident occurred at a traditional oil well located in Pasir Putih village of Aceh Timur district. Spokesman of the national disaster mitigation agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that the incident started when the oil well overflew during midnight to Wednesday, attracting dozens of villagers to collect the oil.

"But suddenly, at 1:30 a.m. fire appeared and engulfed the area around the well. So that those collecting the crude oil could not escape the fire," he told Xinhua in a text message.

The spokesman said the fire occurred when a worker was carrying out welding on a pipe which will be put into the well. The sparks ignited the fire. Local police also suspected that the fire was caused by cigarrette-smoking.

The disaster also triggered evacuation among nearby villagers, but the exact number is still being assessed.

Fire-fighting vehicles arrived at the scene at 2:30 a.m. local time to help douse the blaze from the well with a depth of about 250 meters, said Sutopo.

The oil well is suspected of being dug illegally by villagers to get free oil. State-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina said it will stop the fire with a special technology.

Editor: pengying
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15 killed, 43 badly injured as oil well catches fire in Aceh, Indonesia

Source: Xinhua 2018-04-25 17:28:38
[Editor: huaxia]

JAKARTA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- At least fifteen people were killed and 43 others were seriously injured as an oil well in Aceh province of western Indonesia caught fire on early Wednesday, said officials.

"We are still collecting data on the number of victims because the fire has not been extinguished," Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency said in a statement.

All the injured are being treated in three hospitals in the province, said the press officer at the provincial disaster management agency named only Heni.

Soldiers, police, firefighters and volunteers are rushing to the site to contain the fire from spreading to the community residential area as the fire has engulfed five houses, said Heni.

The accident occurred at a traditional oil well located in Pasir Putih village of Aceh Timur district. Spokesman of the national disaster mitigation agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that the incident started when the oil well overflew during midnight to Wednesday, attracting dozens of villagers to collect the oil.

"But suddenly, at 1:30 a.m. fire appeared and engulfed the area around the well. So that those collecting the crude oil could not escape the fire," he told Xinhua in a text message.

The spokesman said the fire occurred when a worker was carrying out welding on a pipe which will be put into the well. The sparks ignited the fire. Local police also suspected that the fire was caused by cigarrette-smoking.

The disaster also triggered evacuation among nearby villagers, but the exact number is still being assessed.

Fire-fighting vehicles arrived at the scene at 2:30 a.m. local time to help douse the blaze from the well with a depth of about 250 meters, said Sutopo.

The oil well is suspected of being dug illegally by villagers to get free oil. State-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina said it will stop the fire with a special technology.

[Editor: huaxia]
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