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Residents take shelter from mud flow
A man drilling for water hit a gas deposit on Saturday evening and caused a mud flow in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, forcing residents in Manggar Baru subdistrict to seek shelter at the Haj Debarkation Center in Batakan
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man drilling for water hit a gas deposit on Saturday evening and caused a mud flow in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, forcing residents in Manggar Baru subdistrict to seek shelter at the Haj Debarkation Center in Batakan.
'Residents have been evacuated to safety at the haj dormitory,' said Balikpapan Mayor Heru Bambang.
Dozens of soldiers from the Raider 600 unit and Battle Engineering unit at the Mulawarman Military Command have been guarding the mud flow site since Sunday evening.
They also assisted in the evacuation of local residents on Monday and watched over their homes.
Besides affecting homes, the mud flow also engulfed mosques.
Manggar resident Hendrik said that a local resident had intended to make an artesian well and drilled down to a depth of 60 meters when he struck the gas deposit.
Twenty families have moved to relatives and the haj dormitory in Batakan. No fatalities have been reported in the incident and police have cordoned off the area.
