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Death toll from Aceh oil well fire increases to 22
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Flames shoot from an illegal crude oil well in Pasir Putih village, Ranto Peureulak district, East Aceh, on April 25. (Antara/Rahmad)
F
irefighters finally extinguished a blaze on Thursday at an illegal crude oil well in Pasir Putih village, Ranto Peureulak district, East Aceh.
Meanwhile the death toll in the incident has risen to 22. Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) spokeswoman Henny said 38 victims were still undergoing intensive medical treatment in several hospitals in Aceh and Medan, North Sumatra.
“All of the victims suffered serious burn injuries in the oil well explosion,” she told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
Henny said BPBD Aceh had evacuated 198 people from 55 households living near the well to prevent further injuries.
“The Aceh administration has channeled emergency relief to all evacuees,” said Henny. The relief includes food, clothing, blankets, kitchen utensils and medical packages.
The police are investigating the cause of the explosion, which occurred as a group of local residents extracted crude oil from a disused well. (ebf)
