Noise from Cepu?s flaming wells still keep away villagers
Wednesday, February 27 2002 - 11:14 AM WIB
While estimating that it will need more than one month to put off fire at its oil wells in Cepu, East Java, sate oil and gas firm Pertamina said on Wednesday its was continuing to measure the noise level at the flaming wells so as to decide whether or not area villagers can return home.
By Wednesday, some 1000 people who had fled their villages on Monday night after the blaze broke out had not returned to their houses, reports said.
Pertamina officials were quoted as saying on Wednesday that the villagers would be allowed to return home only after the level of the noise from the wells had reached tolerable level.
No hazardous gas had spouted out of the wells, the officials said.
Meanwhile, Pertamina estimates that fire fighters will need over one month to extinguish the fire. (*)