Ten people have been killed and dozens injured in a huge blaze at an illegal oil well in Indonesia, authorities said yesterday. Several homes were also destroyed after an oil spill sparked a huge fire at about 1:30am in a residential area on Sumatra island’s Aceh province.
It was still burning by early afternoon. “There was a group of people digging in the old well but suddenly a huge fire was sparked and it exploded,” said national police spokesman Setyo Wasisto.
At least 10 bodies have been recovered, police said, while some 40 “severely injured” victims were being treated at local hospitals.
It was not clear if any were in life-threatening danger. Images from the accident showed a towering flame shooting into the sky above homes and palm trees as curious villagers looked on. Firefighters were at the scene, with state-owned oil company Pertamina assisting their efforts. Police said the victims were collecting oil from around the entrance of a wellbore when the blaze erupted. It was not known how much oil was spilled or what ignited the fire, but authorities suggested a lit cigarette as a possible cause. “There were many people there who were smoking,” police spokesman Wasisto said.
“It’s a village so many were scrambling to get oil and it was crowded,” he added. East Aceh is dotted with numerous small-scale oil mining operations, which are often run illegally by local villagers.
Firefighters work near the site of a fire at an oil well in Peureulak, Indonesia’s Aceh province, yesterday.
