Villagers claim poisoned by Santa Fe's operation in East Java

Dozens of people in the village of Ngampel, Kapas district, Bojonegoro regency, East Java claimed that they had been poisoned by the H2S gas discharged by the drilling activities of Santa Fe joint operating body (JOB) and demanded compensation from the company for the poisoning.

The head of Ngampel village, Sujiman, told Jawa Pos daily on Tuesday that his people would demand the accountability of the JOB, after about a dozen of villagers were poisoned when the company did its activities on Sunday.

"If Santa Fe does not want to take care of those poisoned people, we will sue the company," he said.

Aside from the Ngampel people, tens villagers of Sambiroto, also in Kapas district, and of Campurejo in Kota district also reportedly suffered breathing problems and coughing. If anything, about a dozen of people fainted.

According to Sujiman, the gas had poisoned 23 people in his village. Three of them were still in a weak condition, while the others had been recovering.

Meanwhile, the head of Sambiroto village, Sujono, said the H2S gas poisoned three persons in his village. However, they did not file a complaint with the village head.

The number of poisoned people in Capurejo village reached 14 people, according one of the villagers. (*)