An oil well that caught fire and killed 10 people in Pasir Putih village, Ranto Peureulak subdistrict, East Aceh, on Wednesday morning was illegal, says the Aceh Disaster and Mitigation Agency (BPBD Aceh)

Nineteen people were injured in the incident that also damaged five houses in the village.

“It is an illegal well. The well was built on land belonging to Bu Zainabah, whose house also burned down during the incident. The owner of the well is still unknown because it is a shared well. Some people exploit the crude oil from the well together,” a BPBD Aceh official who requested anonymity told The Jakarta Post in a phone call on Wednesday.

She said the fire had yet to be extinguished. “Two fire trucks were deployed at 2:30 a.m. but nine hours later it has yet to be put out."

Sutopo said state oil and gas firm Pertamina and BPBD Aceh would apply special technology to put out the fire. 

The Environment and Forestry Ministry’s law enforcement director general, Rasio Ridho Sani, said the ministry had deployed officials to Pasir Putih village to investigate the incident. 

“We have assigned a team to the location,” Rasio told the Post. The fire happened only a month after an oil spill disaster caused by Pertamina's burst undersea pipeline in East Kalimantan.(ebf)