Two more villages sink under Lapindo mud

Two more villages near the gas field operated by PT Lapindo Brantas Inc in Sidorarjo, East Java sank under the liquid mud Friday following the collapse of two embankments which were built to halt the mud floods from the exploration field, Kompas reported Saturday.

With the sinking of the Mindi and Pejarakan villages, the number of residential areas that have been under the liquid mud has reached six villages.

Four villages including Jatirejo, Ronokenongo and Siring in the Porong subdistrict and Kedungbendo villages in the Tanggulangin subdistrict sunk earlier as the existing flood dams built by the company and the government to halt the mud floods either leaked or collapsed.

Kompas reported as many as 9,789 people have been evacuated, and up to 1,776 workers have lost their jobs due to the mud disaster. Since the disaster began in May, the areas that have been covered by mud floods have reached 346 hectares. A total of 2,467 houses, 24 factories and 360 hectares of rice fields and other farming areas have been under the liquid mud.

A number of efforts have been made to stop the mud flows from the well, but to no avail. A number of embankments or dams have also been built to prevent the floods from spreading to a wider areas, but they had a little help as some of them broke down due to the increase in the mud volume.

Meanwhile, Sidoarjo Regent Win Hendrarso suggested yesterday the mud be directly dumped into Porong River in a state of emergey to salvage local residents.

Deputy head of the East Java's Provincial House of Representatives Ridwan Hisjam urged the mud to be directly dumped into delta Brantas covering some 2500 hectares. Delta Brantas is predicted to be able to accommodate the mud until the next 15 years. (*)