Blasts at Lapindo?s well injures two, including soldier

Two persons, including a soldier, were injured Friday evening when blasts occurred at Lapindo Banjar Inc.? oil and gas exploration well in East Java, that has been spouting hot mud for months.

Dody Hidayat, operational deputy at oil and gas upstream authority BP Migas, said the well sent hot mud to the air at higher than usual altitude at about 11 p.m., causing three blasts.

Aside from the soldier, an operator of bulldozer was also injured following the incident. Both were soon rushed to nearby hospital.

?Both were believed to have been injured by the hot mud. The cause of the incident is being investigated,? Dody said.

Hot mud has been flowing out of Lapindo?s Banjar Panji I well for months, engulfing 180 hectares of lands, displacing thousands of families. The company is trying to channel hot mud water to the sea to solve the problem. (Godang)