Hundreds of residents evacuated after gas blowout in Palembang

More than 300 residents in Lembak village in the Muara Enim regency in Palembang were evacuated on early morning,Tuesday following a gas blowout at one of Pertamina's old oil gas wells near the village,Sumatera Express daily reported on Wednesday.

The residents said that they evacuated to the police office and other safer places about one kilometer from the location following the gas blowout which occurred at about two o'clock early in the morning on Tuesday.No casualties were reported.

Joko Susanto, the general manager of Pertamina's production unit in the location, said that the gas blowout occurred in one of the company's old oilfields in the Lembak district.

Pertamina, he said, was conducting a cleansing operation on the old wells by injecting sea water into the old oil wells when the blowout was taking place.

"The company has anticipated a possible blowout by covering the wells with thick mud. But the pressure ofthe gas from one of the wells was too strong," he said.(*).